Saria's Wish
by Dannondorf
Summary: Greenshipping, or LinkSaria. Complete.
1. The Journal

Saria's Wish

By Dannondorf

"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

**Author's Notes:** Hello! Dannondorf here. This is a story I posted back in September 06, and I am currently editing it and separating it into chapters since it was originally a fifty-three-thousand-word oneshot. There will be 12 chapters total, and I will be updating about once per week. I hope you stick with me for the whole story!

I don't prefer any specific Zelda pairings, but I tend to enjoy Link/Saria the most. Unfortunately, there's not much L/S fluff out there in comparison to Zelink and Malink, so I decided to do something about it. I'm not very experienced when it comes to fluff, but I had to try. Here's my contribution to the world of Link/Saria. I hope you like it!

**Shout-outs:** A big thanks to **OyOfMidworld** for taking the time to be a beta reader for this story!

**Summary:** Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?

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Chapter 1: "The Journal"

Link was not a social person. Not that he didn't like being around other people; he just didn't talk much. He spoke very little to anyone he wasn't close to, often offering no more than a one-word response to any question he was asked. He went to great lengths to avoid talking more than he wished; whenever he did something unusual and a person questioned his actions, he would just act as if what he did was typical and let the person think he was crazy rather than bother to explain himself.

This was just the way he was, and most of the time, Nabooru respected that. However, there were times when his silence drove her over the edge. Now was one of those times.

As she sat through yet another moment of frustrating silence with him in her private chambers, she felt her patience snap. "Just what were you doing out there?!" She shouted at him.

Link wasn't affected by her violent tone. He was much more interested in warming himself by the fire, for he was completely soaked, and night in the Gerudo Valley was always cold. He rubbed his hands together and shivered, staring into the fire. "I already told you," he replied evenly. He did not bother looking at her as he spoke; he was tired of answering her question. How many times had she asked it now? Four? Five?

Nabooru glared at him as she spoke to let him know that he'd better answer, but to her further aggravation, he didn't see the look on her face because he was too focused on the flames. "All you said was that you were conquering your fears. How does nearly getting yourself killed accomplish that?"

He was silent, and she growled in frustration. As the Gerudo leader, she was used to having people obey her. Unfortunately, Link was not a Gerudo, and he became very tight-lipped when people pushed him. She would have to use a strategy other than intimidation if she wanted him to explain himself. 'Fine. Be that way,' she thought. 'I'm going to find out what's going on inside that head of yours, whether you're willing to tell me or not.'

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Saria burst into Link's house excitedly. "Hi, Link!" She shouted, but once she was inside she saw that no one was there. She frowned and put her hands on her hips before deciding to sit down on his bed and wait for him.

She had only just left the Forest Temple and the Lost Woods when she heard from the other Kokiri that Link had returned home. Being the Sage of Forest was lonely work, so she was ecstatic to hear that her friend had come back to her. She lit up upon hearing the news, and happiness exuded from her body. It had given her an aura similar to that of her own guardian fairy, and with such cheer in her, she couldn't help running around and looking for Link.

But now she was tired from running, and she relished the comfort provided by her friend's bed, which was much bigger than hers so as to accommodate his grown body. As she lay down on it, she thought about its owner. He was eighteen, and she was sad to see that as he was getting older, he was spending more time away from the forest, either to look for work, visit people, keep his fighting skills sharp, or search for new music to play on his ocarina. (Or rather, the fairy ocarina Saria had given him a long time ago, since Princess Zelda had requested that Link return the Ocarina of Time to the Royal Family's possession shortly after his trip to Termina.)

Link had been gone for the past three months, and she missed him terribly. When he left the forest, he had told her he was leaving to become stronger and to conquer some old fears. Saria had laughed, asking what the holder of the Triforce of Courage could possibly be afraid of. She was surprised when he looked at her very seriously and answered vaguely, "more than enough to render me useless in the future if I don't do something about it." His response frightened her a little bit. He had looked worried about something. She hadn't been able to ask him about it before he had ridden off on Epona, but she had been concerned about it the whole time he was away. Presently, though, he was supposedly back in the forest again, and she wanted him to tell her all about what he had said.

She stretched out on the bed, letting a yawn escape her. As her arms moved across it, she located a slight bump under the covers on the otherwise flat bed. She reached under the blankets around where the bump was and pulled out a book she had never seen before. The outside had no words on it, so she opened it. Inside was Link's messy handwriting. Curiosity possessed her. She knew it wasn't polite to read his private scribbles, but she figured just a quick look wouldn't do any harm. It read thusly:

_Entry One_

_I should have left Gerudo Valley sooner. I was sparring there with my friend Sheridan, and afterward I decided to try and do something about my fear of heights. I was about to leave after that, but Nabooru stopped me and demanded I rest in her place and dry myself by the fire since I was wet from swimming. She gave me a long lecture about being careful and not doing anything overly stupid and dangerous. Then she gave me this blank book to write in and "keep my thoughts in order," and she made me promise to write in it once a day for a while. I don't know why she did that or why I gave in, but she says I've been pushing myself too hard lately._

_ I have been working pretty hard, I guess. Three months ago I left Kokiri Forest on a mission to conquer my fears and forget about people and things that have been distracting me while I train: namely people and things that no longer exist to me because they're from Termina and Hyrule's alternate timeline. I didn't succeed in forgetting anything, but I did eliminate my fear of heights; I climbed and leapt from cliffs, mountains, buildings, and trees all over Hyrule until I felt comfortable with doing it. I still haven't come to terms with my other fear, though…_

_Oh well. I'm done for a while, so I can relax and head back to the forest. It has become less and less appealing to me as I've aged and become different from the Kokiri, but I think that as long as Saria is here, this place will hold a special place in my heart. Though I never stay in one place, it's definitely the closest thing I have to a home. The other Kokiri may resent me, but Saria and I have always been best friends. I just hope that dream I had doesn't come true…that's not something I want to get into, though, so I guess I'll write again tomorrow._

Saria put the book back where it had been and made the bed look like no one had disturbed it. She was pleased that he had mentioned her, but the rest of the journal entry was cause for concern. Were memories of Termina and Hyrule's alternate timeline haunting him? She knew that the entrance to Termina had mysteriously sealed itself after he came back to Hyrule nine years ago, but was it really bothering Link that much?

What was the dream he mentioned? What was the other fear he mentioned? Did it involve the dream in any way? Finally, had he really been jumping from mountains and cliffs? That sounded more than a bit dangerous. She hoped he hadn't hurt himself trying to get over this "fear of heights" he had.

She was so busy contemplating that she was startled when Link's voice entered her mind. He had just played Saria's Song.

"Saria?"

"Oh! Hi, Link!" She smiled, even though he couldn't see it.

"I just got back to the forest a while ago. I've searched your house, the Sacred Forest Meadow, and the Forest Temple, but I've yet to find you. Where are you? It's been too long since I saw you last."

"I'm at your house. The others said you were back, so I came here looking."

"All right. I'll be there in a minute."

Their mental link broke, and she let out a sigh of relief. She had been worried that she might stutter during their talk and reveal that she had done something wrong.

Soon he entered his abode. He smiled as he looked down at his childhood friend, and for a second the energy in his eyes made him look like a child himself. Saria briefly saw the caring, brave, but lonely kid she had raised as he dropped to his knees and hugged her.

"You've gotten too tall to hug me," she joked as she returned the embrace.

He laughed. "Too bad. I'm going to hug you anyway. Anything change here while I've been gone?"

"Not a thing."

"Of course," he said, releasing his hold on her. "Things never change around here. They sure do in the rest of Hyrule, though."

"Tell me all about it. I want to hear everything about your trip, and I want you to start with what you told me right before you left."

Link seemed surprised that she had remembered his words. "Oh, that." His smile faded, and he paused for a moment. "It's nothing, really. I've just been a little upset lately."

Saria's smile faded as well. "Upset? Why? What's wrong?" Concern clearly filled her voice.

"I keep remembering things that happened when I was in Termina and Hyrule's alternate timeline, and it upsets me that no one else has the memories I do. I've lost some close friendships because of that, and ever since I lost Malon's in the time change, I've been afraid I might lose my other friends too someday."

"You really miss that ranch girl, don't you? Well, you don't have to worry about losing your other friends, Link. We're here to stay." She hugged him again.

"Saria…thank you."

"You've worked yourself too hard, haven't you?" she commented disapprovingly, backing up so she could study him. "I can sense spirits that are inside the forest, and I can tell you're exhausted. Your spirit is dull and weary."

Link chuckled to himself. "That figures. I've been running all over Hyrule, and I haven't slept that much. I trained with Hyrule's knights for a week, and then I ambled to Castle Town and chatted with some musicians and took lessons on composing."

"How did that go?"

He sighed. "I learned a lot about 'music theory' as they called it, but they simply don't look at writing music in the same light that we do. The teachers and students there usually laugh at me when I suggest that there is magic in some songs. That is, until I play the Song of Storms and it starts raining on a sunny cloudless day. People always take my 'magic and fairies nonsense' a bit more seriously after I do something like that."

She giggled. "Like when you make your sword glow."

Link liked talking about the 'stupid Hylians' with Saria, even though he was one. "Yeah. They always get a kick out of that."

"What did you do next?"

"Well, I walked to Kakariko and hung out with Dampe for a long time. He's much keener on the subject of magic than everyone else in that village. He's also a nicer musician than the people in Castle Town. We stayed up all night and played songs we each knew. After training with him for a while, I hiked up Death Mountain and tried to get over this phobia I have of elevated places. It may sound silly, but each time I've gone on an adventure I've had to reconquer that fear. This time, I wanted to get rid of it for good, and the mountain was a great place to do it."

"You didn't do anything _reckless_, did you?" She asked, pretending she hadn't already read his journal and found the answer.

"Oh yes."

"Link!"

He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Don't worry; I didn't try anything I wasn't sure I could handle. You know I've made some pretty absurd jumps before."

"Yes, but you still need to be careful. You don't have any injuries, do you?"

"No broken bones, if that's what you mean, but I did get cut a few times when I was sparring with Sheridan and the other Gerudo a couple days ago. After all, they're not like the Hylian Knights; when you make a mistake in combat, they make sure you know."

"Nothing serious, though?"

"Nope." He continued his story where he left off. "While I was at Death Mountain, I stayed with Darunia in Goron City for a month. They're all huge, so of course when I got there they made their usual claim that I was too weak and undernourished for the 'hero' status Darunia claimed I had. They fed me and tried to train me and add some bulk to my 'weak' structure."

The forest girl held back a laugh. Link was by no means 'weak,' especially when compared to her or any of the other pint-sized Kokiri. He was always working hard to become stronger and faster, and his muscles showed the rewards of his efforts proudly.

"After that I said hi to Ruto and the Zora King, but I didn't stay long. I swam out of that place to Lake Hylia, I called Epona, and we set our sights on Lon Lon Ranch. Malon sang some and I accompanied with the ocarina, and then Epona and I left for the Gerudo Valley. I trained there with Sheridan, then returned Epona, and here I am."

Saria sighed wistfully. "I wish that just once I could leave the forest and see the world that has become so commonplace to you."

"That would be great. If you were able, I'd ask you to join me every time I left."

"Really?"

"Yeah. There are so many things I'd like to show you, and besides, I don't get the chance to travel with other people very often."

"And why is that?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Because I'm a crazy teenager who thinks he's a Kokiri?"

She rolled her eyes. "We've been through this. As far as everyone here is concerned, you _are_ a Kokiri." She wished she could convince him, but he knew it was a lie as much as she did. The other forest children did not like having an adult around, even if he did mostly keep to himself.

Strangely enough, though, he did not pursue that topic. He simply remained silent.

Saria knew him well enough to recognize this as abnormal behavior. "There's something else bothering you, isn't there?"

He looked more troubled than she had ever seen him. "Saria…I…I've just been so confused lately. I don't know where I belong."

"Link, I can't tell you where you belong. Maybe you belong on the road, traveling constantly the way you do. All I can tell you is that I hope you decide on Kokiri Forest, because you can always come back here if you want to."

"I know. This is the only of the only places I feel I can relax at. And hey, speaking of which, I'm going to go get some food and then catch up on my sleep. I need to rest badly."

"For what? You're not leaving again soon, are you? It's hard to see you away so often."

"I don't think I'm going anywhere anytime soon. I'm too tired. I'm going to get some food. I'll see you tomorrow." He ducked under the kid-sized exit, leapt down to the ground, and was off. Saria remained behind to collect her thoughts.

'Now I feel bad about reading his book and invading his privacy; he basically told me everything he wrote in it, and he probably doesn't have anything to hide from me.'

Her thoughts were interrupted once again by a voice in her head, but this time it wasn't Link's; it was Nabooru's. (Sages can communicate with each other telepathically.)

"Saria, are you there?"

"Oh! Yes, Nabooru." She didn't know how long it would take her to get used to people being able to get inside her head whenever they wanted. It had already been nine years, but she was still surprised every time it happened.

"Listen, is Link there?"

"He just got here not too long ago. Why?"

"I'm really worried about him. Last night I was patrolling the valley and I found him jumping off the cliff near our fortress again and again. I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"Sure. What is it?"

"The guy seems to be having some serious issues right now: he just looks plain tired. I've talked with Darunia, and we agree that he's been working himself too hard. I gave Link a little blank book and told him to write in it every day to help keep his thoughts organized. I said I wouldn't read it so that he could feel free to put down anything he considered private, but I was wondering if you could secretly read it every day for me."

Saria blinked. "Isn't that kind of like…spying?"

"Yes, but trust me, this is not for my own enjoyment. For one, I want to make sure he actually does write in it every day, and secondly…the way he's been acting lately, he's been working himself to the bone, and it's almost like he's preparing for something. If he has information about the future that we and the rest of the sages don't know, I want you to find out what."

"I don't know if I should. To tell you the truth, I already feel bad because I found that book inside his house and read his first entry before you called me. I feel like I've betrayed his trust."

"Oh, really? You're a sneaky little girl, aren't you? You should train with us Gerudo; we'd make you a master thief."

"Nabooru!"

"I'm kidding! You can't leave the forest anyway. But back to that book: did he write anything worth mentioning?"

"Well, he's trying to get over a fear that's bothering him, and it may be related to a bad dream he mentioned. He didn't go into detail about either, though."

"I see. Well, we'll have to wait for further entries. And Saria…talk to him. Whether he admits it or not, I think he's keeping a lot of thoughts hidden that he should be unloading."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure if you went deep enough, you'd find tons of disturbing tidbits. Remember to read his journal every day. Thanks for doing this for me, Saria."

"Wait, Nabooru! I don't want to have to read his…" she quickly spat out in protest, but the Gerudo had already broken their mental link. The childish Kokiri in Saria wanted to reopen it and yell at her, but the wise sage in her knew that would be pointless.

Sighing in defeat, she dragged herself out of Link's house and into her own, wishing she had never listened to Nabooru's request. Regardless, this couldn't crush her happiness at Link's return. 'He might actually stay for more than a day this time!' She thought happily. 'Tomorrow's going to be so much fun!' Ready to go to sleep and wake up to the next day, she was about to jump into her bed, but a package in the corner caught her eye. 'That wasn't there this morning…where did it come from?' It fit perfectly in her fist as she picked it up. It was small and wrapped in simple brown paper, and scribbled on the bag were the words, "to Saria, from Link."


	2. Link's Song

Saria's Wish

By Dannondorf

"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

**Summary:** Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?

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Chapter 2: "Link's Song"

Malon was standing around at the center of Lon Lon Ranch doing nothing in particular when she heard a familiar neigh and Epona came cantering into the ranch. She smiled. It looked like Link was done with her favorite horse. Malon sang Epona's Song, and the horse came and stopped in front of her. Malon petted its long mane and giggled. "So Link's done with you, eh? And he didn't even have the courtesy to come see me?" She asked facetiously. She furrowed her brow in contemplation and looked toward the ranch gates as if expecting him to be there. "I don't understand him," she admitted to her horse. "Sometimes he seems so eager just to talk with me, but then later it seems like he's avoiding me and won't even guide you back to the ranch when he's finished with you."

He was a strange one. She had talked with people from Castle Town and Kakariko about him before, and their opinions of him generally fell into two categories: half of them said he was crazy and left it at that, but the other half told her that he was the kindest person they had ever met. The latter half consisted of folks that Link had helped at one time or another, and there were quite a few. There was a poor family in Kakariko whom Link had built a house for, an incredibly wealthy lord whose wife Link had rescued from a group of bandits hoping to use her for ransom, and a Hylian knight whom he had saved from a wild pack of wolfos, to name a few. And it wasn't only big things he did, either; he had done many little things for people that made him well known.

There was a little boy who last month wanted to get a souvenir from Zora's Domain for his little sister for her birthday, but he knew that only people who had a connection to the royal family could visit it. So what did Link do? He took this boy on an adventure and somehow got him there, even though he didn't have a connection to royalty that anyone knew about. The boy was able to take a picture of Lord Jabu-Jabu and purchase some Zora jewelry for his sister, and when they arrived back at Castle Town, he told all his friends about how Link was so cool that he had taken a whole day out of his schedule just to help him get a present for his sister. The boy's family wanted to thank Link for what he had done, but he disappeared before they could. (Apparently, that was a habit of this.)

Then there was a baby girl who had been sick about a year back. The doctors in town concluded that her illness was terminal, for no medicine they knew of could cure her. But then Link showed up one day with a bottle of some icky-looking red liquid that nobody could identify. He gave it to the girl's parents and told them to have her drink it and she would be all better. They were hesitant to take advice about their daughter's health from a complete stranger, but in the end, they had to because they could think of nothing else to do and they were terrified at the thought of losing their baby.

They fed it to her, and immediately the baby recovered! Her fever went away, her appetite returned, and she no longer constantly cried out in pain. The mom and dad thanked Link and asked what the medicine had been. He replied that it was a magic potion that only a handful of people in the world were capable of making. He said he had made it for her upon hearing of her problem. The parents tried to give Link money in return, but he refused their offer and left after telling them to just see him if they were ever in trouble again.

There was also the gravedigger at Kakariko, a man she would not have even noticed if she hadn't chanced to see Link talking to him while she was making milk deliveries in Kakariko. Dampe held Link in very high regard, as he was Dampe's only friend. He said that Link was one of the most selfless people and one of the brightest musicians he had met in a long time.

Link was definitely odd, but Epona liked him. That, if nothing else, told Malon he had to be a good person. After all, in the nine years she had known him, he had never done anything to make her believe otherwise. In fact, he had been one of her best friends. She admitted to herself that she hadn't exactly made this easy; she was always doing chores, so the only way he got to hang out with her was by working with her. But he gladly shared her work load and accepted no pay other than her friendship and hospitality.

She bit her lip in thought. Perhaps it was inaccurate to say that he talked with her while working since she did most of the chatting. He just listened and enjoyed being in her company, occasionally throwing a word or two in. But even though he didn't talk much, he always listened and was kind to her and her father. Unfortunately, it was hard not to believe some of the things that were said about him since he was so unlike everyone else. 'Perhaps he acts so differently because he hangs around the Kokiri?'

Despite how quiet he was, however, she suspected that there were people he did open himself up to. 'Some day, I want to be one of those people. Then I may finally learn something about him other than his musical talents, his kindness, and that his best friend is a girl named Saria.' She felt like he was hiding something from her, possibly his entire life, but no one she had ever spoken to knew more about him than she did. He was so strange…one memory in particular reminded her of this: on the day that Ganondorf suddenly vanished some nine years ago, he had come back to the ranch to see her, and he seemed sad. Now every time she looked into his eyes, they seemed to be concealing something. Something dark and terrible. 'Why is he so mysterious? I've known him for nine years! I'm going to beat some sense into him next time he comes around here.' With that determined thought in mind, she smirked and began her chores.

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_Entry Two_

_Malon lives at Lon Lon Ranch. In the world where Ganondorf took over Hyrule, she and I became very good friends. She was one of the only people I felt I could talk to. But then she forgot about me when I got sent back in time and everyone's memories of that dark time was erased. Of course, since we met briefly as kids before I opened the Door of Time, she still knew who I was when I went to talk to her after permanently returning the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time; but everything we did together as adults…It was like none of it ever happened. I tried to get closer to her again during my childhood, but I must have tried too hard, because I got the impression that she felt awkward around me. Somehow, no matter how much time I spent with her, we never became as good of friends as we were in the alternate timeline. Now, every time I see her, I want to be with the Malon who eased my mind when I was running around awakening the sages, but I can't._

_I had been devastated when I first learned that I had lost the Malon I once knew. I remember crying myself to sleep that night. Not even Saria had been able to cheer me up, and she can almost always make me smile when I'm feeling down. The next day, I vowed that I wouldn't lose Navi the way I had lost Malon. That led me to search for my guardian fairy in Termina._

_Termina was a bizarre, depressing dimension. Not only did I never find Navi, I found another version of Malon to remind me of what I'd lost. She lived on a ranch just like Malon, and the song she sang—Epona's Song—was just like Malon's. At first, I thought it was actually her. I desperately wanted to talk to her, but when I addressed the girl, (whose real name was Romani) all she said was 'Who are you?'_

_I felt that if I stood beside her any longer, I would start crying, so I ran away into the barn behind her. But inside that building, I saw yet another version of Malon! This one looked like the adult Malon, and her name was Cremia. I started freaking out; I stared at Cremia. (Luckily she was preoccupied and didn't seem to notice me.) I thought I was seeing things. When I was satisfied that she wasn't an illusion, I ran back outside and stared at Romani. Then I sprinted back into the barn and stared at Cremia again. I started to lose it. I remember thinking, 'They can't _both_ be real, can they?' Finally, I held the door open and stood in the doorway so I could see them both at the same time and make sure they weren't the same person. I thought I was going insane, and I wondered if it was the will of the goddesses that I should do so._

_I began freaking out right in front of Cremia. She noticed my odd behavior and approached me in concern. I started trembling and backed into a corner, holding out one hand and saying "stay back, Malon!"_

_She replied "who's Malon?" and got close enough so that she could place a hand on my forehead. I tensed up, ready for battle if she should reveal herself to be a demon sent here to torture me; but that look of genuine concern on her told me she was indeed a person, and I relaxed just a bit. She crouched down so that her face was level with mine and told me, "You poor thing, you're feverish! We need to get you some rest and calm you down."_

_"Yes," I said to myself when I remembered I had a mission to complete, "calm down."_

_She led me to an upstairs bed, and I buried myself under its blankets, feeling suddenly cold. I was tired and felt a powerful urge to go to sleep, but after Cremia had gone back down the stairs, Tatl emerged from under my hat, where she had been hiding to avoid the embarrassment of being seen with me when I suddenly started freaking out. She slapped me in the face and bombarded me with angry questions like "what has gotten into you?" and "why are you being like this? Do you not have manners? Have you forgotten that we have a world to save and we have no business wasting this young lady's time or even wasting our own for that matter?" Thinking I had better control of my cognitive faculties after that castigation, I opened my mouth to explain myself, but she slapped me again and said "there is no excuse for this kind of behavior. Now go downstairs and apologize to her right now so we can be on our way."_

_I sighed. I knew she was right, so I took a moment to compose a sane-looking face and went downstairs. I must not have done a very good job composing myself, because when Cremia saw me, she told me I should not be up and about. When she motioned for me to go back to bed, I politely shook my head, apologized for my behavior, and told her that I was all right and that I should be going because I had a job to do. She eyed me suspiciously, not sure whether she could trust my word that I was in good health, but let me go, telling me I could come back anytime. I resisted the urge to freak out again when I realized that when I next saw her, she and Romani wouldn't remember me because I would have played the Song of Time and started the three-day sequence over anew._

_I bet if I could somehow go back to Termina tomorrow, none of the people I helped would remember me. Just like in Hyrule after I beat Ganon and got sent back in time. I have nothing other than my fighting skills and some weapons to show for everything I've ever done. I suppose I have some memories, but I don't think I can even call them memories since I'm the only one that remembers them. My "memories" could just be the figments of my imagination for all I know._

_Wow. I ended up writing a lot more than I thought I would. Maybe Nabooru had the right idea getting me to do this. Well, I've succeeded in depressing myself, so I guess I'll write again tomorrow._

As she read his journal, Saria could feel the pain in his words, and she wished there were something she could do. He had told her some general details about his adventure in Termina, how its inhabitants were clones of Hyrule's citizens, but he had never let on how much the journey had affected him mentally. Now that she thought about it, though, it was very easy to imagine how going back and forth through time and parallel dimensions could make someone go crazy.

Her mind wandered back to his ordeal with the four different iterations of Malon. 'Poor Link…he misses her a lot more than he lets on.' A small part of her was jealous that this journal entry had been focused on Malon and not herself, but she tried to shrug it off. 'They must have been really close.' As she thought this, the jealousy increased, but she once more managed to shove the feeling away, reasoning that the Malon he had been close with was now gone.

After having that thought, though, she felt terrible. Link was devastated that one of his dearest friends was gone, and here she was cheering over it. Wasn't she supposed to be his friend? Even so, she found she couldn't stop herself from thinking just a little badly about the girl, even though she had never met her.

It wasn't that she didn't like Malon. Saria wasn't the type of person who could hate anyone. It just…bugged her whenever Link spent a lot of time talking about her or hanging out with her outside the forest. She didn't know why. Come to think of it, it bugged her when he did that with Sheridan and Nabooru and Ruto, too, although for some reason she wasn't bothered when he visited Dampe.

She had often wondered what would happen if Malon were to somehow regain her memories of the alternate timeline. She tried to picture the scenario. She had never met Malon before, so the best she could do when visualizing her was try to guess what she looked like. Saria imagined a cute girl—no, scratch that, a cute _woman_—with a loveable personality and the same size as Link. In her mind's eye, she saw Malon suddenly regaining her memories. She saw her and Link becoming close friends again, smiling and laughing, holding each other and never letting go. They would grow so close that eventually he would move in with her at Lon Lon Ranch. They would be happy together, and he would forget about Saria and never visit her again.

Saria shook her head violently. There was no need to think about such things; they always made her sad. Nonetheless, she knew the action was useless, for once she started that train of thought, it was always hard to derail it. Next she imagined the same scenario, only with Sheridan instead of Malon. Through their rivalry and the training they endured together, Sheridan and Link would grow closer. Soon he would have no need for any of his other friends…

Saria had always known about Ruto's infatuation with Link. She imagined him meeting Ruto one night, pulling her away from her home to some place where they could be alone, and telling her that he really liked her too. Then they would spend the rest of their lives together in Zora's Domain. The idea of going back to the forest would never cross his mind…

Enough was enough. Saria refused to entertain her thoughts any longer. Snapping out of her reverie, she mentally slapped the part of her which had started that long train of thought. Surely, none of those things would ever happen. She and Link had been best friends since he was old enough to _make_ friends, so he would never forget her even if he did grow super-attached to someone else. The thought of him growing so close to someone other than her shouldn't bother her. Still, it did, and she could not understand why. Perhaps it had something to do with the gift she had found from him in her room last night.

As she remembered that, the pangs of jealousy she experienced from thinking about his female friends vanished, and she became content. The forest girl reached into her pocket and pulled out the box she had found in her house the night before. Pulling the top open, she examined its contents with just as much fascination as she'd had when she first laid eyes upon them. Inside were a note and a gorgeous tear-shaped gem. The note read, "Happy birthday." That's all it said. It didn't offer any explanation as to what the incredible jewel was or why he had felt the need to give it to her. Saria's heart beat faster as she examined it. She had never seen anything so beautiful. It was so pure that one could see right through it, if not for the way it caught the light and sparkled.

The object's visual appeal wasn't the only out-of-the-ordinary aspect of the gesture: the Kokiri never celebrated birthdays (not even Link's) because they never grew, never changed. Therefore they had long since forgotten the dates of each other's births. Link apparently hadn't, though.

She had been so enamored by his thoughtfulness that this morning she had gone to his house to thank him for the gift. Unfortunately, he hadn't been there. His journal and a new entry were, however, so she had decided to read it.

'Oh yeah! The book!' She still hadn't put it back yet. Just as she placed it under the covers of her friend's bed, a voice entered her head, causing her to jump. "Saria?"

She yelped, then calmed down when she realized what was happening. "Yes, Darunia?" she answered bitterly. She hated telepathy. Someone always had to interrupt her when she was thinking.

"I just wanted to check up on my sworn brother. I'm afraid the other Gorons might have worked him too hard on his last visit to our domain, and I wanted to make sure he made it home okay. Nabooru told me she thinks he's been overworking himself. Is he all right?"

She didn't know the answer to that question for sure, but she wanted to end this conversation quickly. "He looks extremely tired, but he'll be fine. He didn't complain."

Fortunately for her, this was enough for the Fire Sage. "Thank you very much, Forest Sage. You're right; I shouldn't be concerned. My sworn brother can make it through anything!" A hearty Goron laugh followed. "Good-bye!" And the mental link broke.

Saria sighed gratefully. With that out of the way, she pondered her next course of action. She stared at the tear-shaped gem a moment longer, cherishing the way her heart beat faster at the sight of it, before putting it away and deciding it was time to go to the Forest Temple. She left Link's house and started the familiar path that led through the Lost Woods.

As a general rule, the sages had to worship in their separate temples as often as possible; it was there that they prayed and poured their power into the seal on Ganondorf. It was necessary to do this regularly so that the seal would stay strong long after they were dead. She didn't mind this; she loved the Sacred Forest Meadow and the Forest Temple and had spent a great deal of time there before she even became aware that she was a sage, so of course finding out that she _was_ a sage didn't change much. The only problem was that it was lonely work. Sure, Mido or Link or some other Kokiri might stop by every once in a while to keep her company, but she was alone for the most part.

Almost as if on cue, Saria spotted Link in a clearing in the Lost Woods just as she was having this thought. He was cutting through the air with his gilded sword, killing imaginary enemies. She became irate. 'He even trains when he's at home and he should be relaxing.' She mulled over yelling out and scolding him, but she decided against it when she saw how focused he was. Instead, she stood where she was and watched.

He was so busy with his stabs, vertical and horizontal slashes, and jumping attacks that he didn't notice he was being watched. He continued for a few more minutes, and once he figured he had fulfilled his daily sword fighting requirements, he placed his sword and Hylian shield away on his back and proceeded to the next part of his agenda: he performed a series of front flips, back flips, sideways flips, somersaults, and sideways hops. He never stopped to rest; as soon as his feet landed from one move, he would immediately launch into another.

Saria was amazed at his speed. When he came back from the would-be future as a nine-year-old, he had vowed that he would never allow himself to lose the agility he possessed as a child, for he was disappointed to say that although the adult Link from the would-be future was stronger and could run faster, he was a tad slower at his flips. Link's reasoning for wanting to keep his agility was that no matter how strong he became, Ganondorf would without a doubt always be able to beat him when it came to brute force, but speed had been Link's advantage during their fight; and he wanted to improve upon that advantage in case the "big bad desert man" ever showed up again. That's not to say, of course, that he didn't want to be strong also. A sizeable chunk of his time was devoted to becoming stronger, but speed was simply more important to him. All in all, there were only seven things he ever seemed to worry about (aside from his friends), and each took him to a different part of the world: for running speed he usually jogged across Hyrule field. His quest for agility had him practicing with the other Kokiri at times, for they, being only children, were quite nimble and were the ones who taught him how to do a back flip in the first place during a time when he too was a child. For strength he went to Death Mountain and trained with the ridiculously bulky Gorons. To improve his swordplay, he visited the Gerudo and Hyrule Castle's knights. For magic and music he studied with Dampe in Kakariko Village, and to hone his arrow-shooting abilities he practiced wherever he felt like.

For some reason she couldn't fathom, his favorite thing to practice was his flips. She saw nothing appealing about risking a broken neck, but he loved doing it. Presently he was doing a string of back flips. First he did one with his sword and shield put away, then one while holding both in his hands, then another with them put away. Finally, in an amazing display of skill, he brought his sword and shield out in mid-flip so that when he landed he was ready to defeat any imaginary enemy that would attack him.

At length he stopped to take a breather. He looked like he might fall to his knees. He sat down on a stump before they buckled under his weight, though, and pulled out the fairy ocarina she had given him. He ran his gloved hands over its surface fondly. Saria's anger was forgotten, and she smiled. 'I can't believe he's kept that after all these years.'

Once he caught his breath, he closed his eyes and brought the ocarina to his lips to play the Prelude of Light softly. Saria instantly felt a calm wash over her, but unfortunately the tune did not have the same effect on its player; when he opened his eyes and saw that he was still in the forest, he sighed heavily.

She didn't know why Link still expected to be able to warp by playing those songs. Without the Ocarina of Time, they did nothing. Even the Song of Soaring, which he hadn't learned in Hyrule, didn't work without the Ocarina of Time.

She didn't know whether to approach him or continue watching in secret. She was answered when he yelled in anger and without warning launched into his most powerful magic attack. He jerked himself to a standing position, raised his arms toward the sky, placed his wrists together, and fired a light beam into the heavens from the point where his hands touched. When he finished, he actually did fall to his knees from exhaustion, and he fell backwards, leaning against the stump when it caught his back. He didn't look like he was getting up again any time soon.

Again he occupied himself by using the ocarina, but this time the tune that blew from it was one Saria had never heard before. She was drawn out of her hiding place and to him by its beauty, but he kept playing and didn't notice as she neared him. The song rolled despair, hope, and determination into one powerful melody. She continued to listen three feet from the closed-eye musician, and when it was done, Link was able to stand up as if he hadn't just tired himself out. Saria's jaw dropped. "What is that song? Where did you learn it?"

Link jumped. "I didn't know you were here! How long have you been watching?"

"I was just passing by and I saw you fall from exhaustion, but after you played that song I sensed your spirit become alive again!"

"I made that song up while I was in Termina. Every time I felt too tired to go on and the situation depressed me to the point of inaction, I played it and felt my will power return to me. This song is very special to me."

"There's magic in that tune…" Saria marveled, "what do you call it?"

"Well, you have a song, right? I always thought that I should have one too, so I named it 'Link's Song.'"

Saria was hurt. "I shared my song with you. Why haven't you ever played yours for me?"

"I'm sorry. I never meant to keep it from you; it's just that I have to save it for extreme situations. I can only remember a few times when I've ever needed to play it. If I overplay it, it will lose its magic and I won't be able to depend on it in the future." She continued to pout, and he rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't be like that. If you really want, I'll teach it to you."

Her fake moping receded into her typical playful smile. "I'd love that! It's a pretty tune. And you say _you_ wrote it?" She asked skeptically.

"What, you don't believe me?" He pretended to be offended. "One day I was really frustrated because I couldn't find any trace of Navi, so I decided to sit down somewhere and calm myself. After I cleared my head, I took out the ocarina and started fooling around, and eventually I created that tune. Here, get out your ocarina and follow along with me." After fifteen minutes, she had memorized it and could play it flawlessly. "Dampe says each person's soul contains a melody, and that melody contains great power that the matching person can tap into if they ever discover it. I have found mine. I think it suits me."

"I suppose Saria's Song is the song of my soul…do you know anyone else who has found theirs?"

"Malon, for one. Hers helps her connect with animals and calm them. I can only think of one other person off the top of my head."

"Who?"

"Ganondorf. You've never heard his before, but he was playing it for me on a huge organ right before we fought in the alternate timeline. It's dissonant and haunting. I'm not sure what it does exactly, but if I had to guess I'd say it magnifies his dark energy and lets him channel the strength from his Triforce of Power better."

Saria changed the topic; thinking about the one they had banished to the Sacred Realm nine years ago had an unsettling effect on her. "Link, just a minute ago you were angry. Unless I'm mistaken, it was because nothing happened when you played the Prelude of Light earlier. You say you only use Link's Song when you're desperate, and yet you just played it. Is something wrong? Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Yes. Ganondorf is returning." He spat the news out quickly, like a piece of food that would leave an awful taste in his mouth if he didn't immediately dispel it.

Saying that Saria was shocked would be an understatement. "W-what?"

Link was eerily calm about it, as if he had known for a long time. "He's coming back. I don't know how, but I'm sure of it. Ever since we sealed him away, I've felt a tugging on my part of the Triforce toward the Temple of Time, where the entrance to the Sacred Realm is. That's because Ganondorf and his part of the Triforce are in the Sacred Realm. Up until recently, that tugging has been weak because he and I are separated by the gap between dimensions, and the pull I feel toward Zelda's Wisdom piece has always been stronger. In the last few months, though, the strength of Ganondorf's pull has gradually increased. It's still nowhere near as strong as Zelda's, but I think it's evidence that he's beginning to find a way out of his prison. I need to be ready when he comes out. That's why I played the song. I'm tired, but I have to keep training."

Saria was beginning to grow frightened. "But the seal is still strong! He hasn't weakened it at all!"

"Maybe not, but I'll bet anything he's found a way around it. One of the first things Dampe taught me about magic is that there's a way around every spell. I'll be staying here a while longer. Are you going to the Forest Temple?"

She nodded, too shocked and afraid to speak.

"Okay. I'll see you later, Saria."

Trembling, eyes wide, and mouth slightly open, she left the scene and continued toward the Forest Temple. She was so occupied with the thought of the evil king returning that the thought of thanking Link for the jewel he had given her (the whole reason she had wanted to see him) completely slipped her mind. As she walked to her temple, memories of Phantom Ganon and all the horrible monsters Ganondorf had trapped her with troubled her. She recalled how frightened she had been, hiding curled up in a ball in a corner away from the beasts in the room. When she had lost all hope, she heard Link's sixteen-year-old voice in her head, (he had played Saria's Song) the first time she had heard from him in seven years, and she cried and told him how scared she was and begged him to help her. The next thing she knew, he rushed into the temple and defeated every single monster in it, including Phantom Ganon. He was so brave…he put his life on the line for her, but she wasn't even brave enough to come out of hiding. 'I could never be like him. He's already doing his best to get ready for Ganondorf when he comes, but the mere mention of that name is enough to scare me senseless. He conquers his fears while I indulge them. If I were afraid of heights like he was, I certainly would not have faced my fear the way he did.'

When she arrived at the Forest Temple, she let the other sages know about Link's suspicions. Through telepathy she gave Nabooru the message and told her to pass it on to the others.

"Are you sure?" Nabooru was skeptical.

"I'm just telling you what he said," Saria replied, "but I believe him. What are we going to do?"

"I'll tell the other sages, but all in all, I don't think there's much we can do right now other than stay alert. We'll just have to wait."

Saria was nervous. She didn't like the idea of waiting for danger.

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**Dannondorf:** Mwa ha ha! So how'd you like it? Hopefully it was enough to make you stick around for the next installment. It'll be coming out within the week. If you bothered to read the story, please review! It'll make me VERY happy. Link/Saria fans, how am I doing thus far? People who aren't fans of Link/Saria, is the story still likeable? Is there anything I could have done better or can do better in the future? Let me know. The whole reason I'm editing this is to make it better, but I can't do that very well without your suggestions!

I'll see you again soon! Buh-bye!

Dannondorf


	3. Three Days

Saria's Wish

By Dannondorf

"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

**Author's Notes:** Hello again! Dannondorf here, with another chapter of Saria's Wish.

**Shout-outs:** Thanks to **LostInHyrule**, my only reviewer, and thanks especially to **OyOfMidworld**, who has been kind enough to beta my story. Anyways, on with it!

**Summary:** Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?

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Chapter 3: "Three Days"

_Entry Three_

_I had a dream when I was young that I will never forget. It was the dream I had right before I met Navi for the first time nine years ago. I was in a black void, and in front of me in a horizontal line there were three golden triangles—the Triforce, separated into its three components, though I did not know it back then—floating in place and rotating slowly. I went to touch the one on my left-hand side when a soft female voice startled me and, afraid I had offended some powerful being by wanting to feel the triangles, I yanked my arm back before I had touched anything. The voice said, "What do you desire above all else?" It was quiet, so I figured the owner of the voice must be somewhere nearby; but when I looked around, there was no one. There was only the black void, the three triangles, and myself so far as I could see._

_I looked up and called out, "Who are you?" I had many other questions, but my nine-year-old brain could not process them._

_The voice ignored me and repeated itself. "What is it you desire? Why did you reach for the left triangle first?"_

_"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know they were yours. I was just curious what they were and how they can spin like that. I didn't mean to do anything wrong."_

_The entity let out a gentle laugh. "You have done no misdeed, child. I merely wish you to answer my questions."_

_"Okay. Um, I reached for the left triangle first because I'm left-handed."_

_"You will later realize that there is more to it than that, but go on. What about my other question?"_

_"Uhhh…well…Mido and the others said I wasn't old enough yet to make important decisions on my own. I'm…not sure I'm mature enough to know the correct answer to that."_

_"You are more mature than you think. There is no right or wrong answer. Just look deep within your self, and you will know what it is you desire. You don't have a time limit, so take all the time you need."_

_So I started thinking, 'I could use a new tunic, but I don't think that's what she means; that's just something I want. The know-it-all brothers told me once that wants are different than desires, but I don't remember how. Maybe a desire is something you want more than an ordinary want?'_

_About five minutes passed in silence as I racked my brain for clues, and the mysterious female voice waited patiently. I tried to picture what it was that I would need to guarantee my future happiness, what pursuit would be necessary for me to function correctly, and what goal I would always have. My train of thought led me to ponder the way I had apologized to the voice earlier, and then I knew the answer._

_"I…" I started slowly, not knowing how to say it, "I want to be good. I want to know that I will always be brave enough to stand up for what is right when the time comes. Saria has protected me from the other Kokiri and the monsters of the forest, and I want to be able to help and protect her some day." I waited for an acknowledgement of some kind, but when one didn't come, I got nervous. I suspected that maybe when she had said earlier that there was no right or wrong answer, she had been lying just to calm me down and allow me to think straight. I suspected that I had actually answered incorrectly and was about to be in deep doo-doo for it. But I was confident that what I had said was what I wanted, so I called out boldly, "Is that okay?"_

_She did not take offense at my effrontery. "Yes, of course that is okay, young Link. That is a very unselfish wish. If you work hard, you may earn it. That is all I have to say to you. Now I must be leaving; someone is trying to wake you up."_

_"Please wait! You know my name, may I ask yours? How do you know me?"_

_"I know all my children," she said affectionately. "I am Farore, goddess of courage, and the creator of life."_

_And with that, the dream ended, and I met a very loud fairy named Navi, the one Farore had said was trying to rouse me. I remember how happy I was at that moment, not only because a fairy had come to me at last, but because I had been told that I might have my wish granted._

_I'm still happy right now, because my wish _was_ granted. Even though I'm upset about certain things, I've gotten to help a lot of people in my lifetime, (including Saria) and I'm thankful. I'm in a really good mood now, so I'm going to stop writing and run around for a bit. I'll write again tomorrow._

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_Entry Four_

_There are only two dreams I've ever had that have stayed with me. I already wrote about the first dream in my last entry. The other one was mentioned briefly in my first entry. I wish I could forget it, but it's as clear to me as the one with Farore in it, so it is forever embedded in my mind. I just pray that it isn't a premonition sent by the goddesses, but given its clarity in my mind even now, the odds are against me. I had this dream the day before my recent trip around Hyrule. _

_Once again I was in a black void. This time there were no golden triangles, just me and Navi in it. We walked around together, and suddenly she started picking up her pace. I asked her what she was doing, but she ignored me and kept flying faster. I yelled for her to wait for me and ran to try to catch up, but she disappeared off in the distance before I could reach her. For a long time, I sprinted in the direction I last saw her moving. Eventually I came across another fairy. My hopes were raised briefly until I discovered that it was actually Tatl, the fairy who took Navi's place during my encounter with Majora's Mask. I asked her if she had seen another fairy, but she just sped off and disappeared like Navi did._

_Seeing this, I was suddenly very tired from running, and I sat down and closed my eyes for a moment to recuperate. When I opened them, all of my closest friends (save for Navi and Tatl) were in front of me: Nabooru, Saria, Malon, Darunia, Ruto, Dampe, and Sheridan. I stood up to greet them, but when they noticed me, all but Saria scowled at me and walked away, vanishing in the distance. In desperation I ran to Saria and asked her what was going on. I didn't get all the words out, though, because I noticed she had the same scowl on her face and something else, too: tears. As I took all this in, she slapped me, said "I hate you," and walked off like the others. The dream ended there._

_If this dream is supposed to represent a real life event, I know what it means: I've done or will do something terrible, and my friends are going to hate me for it. I don't want to lose my friends; I want to be good, but if this dream is from the goddesses like the one I wrote about earlier, I'm afraid it might be a vision from the future (which would mean it's more than likely impossible to avoid). I could handle the rest of them avoiding me, but I don't know what I'd do if I lost Saria. Her face…it looked so angry and hurt and upset and resentful; what I did must have been unspeakable. I never want to see her like that. She's the most loving girl I've ever known, but that look she had in the dream reminded me of the malicious expressions skull warriors wear when they're trying to kill me. If I ever did something to change her character like that, I wouldn't be able to live with myself._

_I must overcome the evil within me if I am to prevent this from happening; this means overcoming my fears, my doubts, and my anger. That's the whole reason I went on that three-month trip. I managed to purge myself of all but one fear: the fear of losing my friends. That dream still makes me feel like a frightened child._

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_Entry Five_

_My friendship with Dampe confuses me. In the alternate timeline, he died before I emerged from the Sacred Realm as a sixteen-year-old, so naturally in this timeline I was shocked when he was still around come my sixteenth birthday. I asked the sages what was up with that, but they could only surmise that it was because of something I had done differently in this timeline. I thought about it and recalled that in the alternate timeline, I had never paid him more than a passing glance, but in this branch of time I have befriended him. I used to think, 'Is that why he's still alive? Because he has a friend now?' Dampe did not have any friends other than me, and I know what it's like to be alone; therefore the concept made sense to me at the time, but I learned the truth about him shortly after I turned sixteen._

_Looking at him, you wouldn't think he was all that bright, but that is just a disguise he wears. A _magic_ disguise. Halfway between my sixteenth and seventeenth birthdays, he revealed to me that he was actually a mage…and a brilliant musician, too. It happened like this: I had been helping him dig a fresh grave in the cemetery when out of the blue he said, "Link, you are the Hero of Time."_

_I tried to hold back my surprise. How did he know something that only I and the Sages knew? Nobody else had even heard of such a title. I kept digging and played dumb. "Hero of Time? What's that? It'd be hard for me to be something I've never heard of."_

_"You are modest. You are the one who defeated Ganondorf and saved Hyrule and Termina alike, yet you ask nothing in return, not even that you simply be remembered."_

_I dropped my shovel and stared at him in disbelief. "I…you must have me confused for someone else. I've…" I gave up trying to hide, knowing my reaction had given me away. "How can you know of such a thing?" I practically whispered, unable to fully control my voice._

_He smiled thoughtfully. "I know much that ordinary people do not. I have read the Royal Family's ancient scripts that predicted the coming of the Hero of Time and his legacy. I know a great deal about the ancient magic arts. And I can tell that you are an exceptional lad. I've known you for seven years now, and you are the only person who has ever done more than have a passing conversation with me. That in itself is exceptional because you are the only one who has been able to see past my spell."_

_"I don't understand. What spell?"_

_"The spell I have cast on myself that allows me to remain virtually hidden and unnoticed even while living among other people. It is similar to the enchantment found on the Stone Mask you had in Termina, but less powerful. The fact that you were able to befriend me tells me that you have experience seeing through spells and tricks, which more than likely means you have used the legendary Eye of Truth before."_

_I was stunned. "You know of that too?"_

_"Yes. As I told you, I know a great deal about the ancient magical arts. The Eye of Truth was created in this town long ago by a group of mages who feared the misuse of magic and the powers of the goddesses by those with evil in their hearts. It was constructed for future use so that if ever the need arrived, a hero could use it to see through the deceptions of those who threatened the safety of the land."_

_"What else do you know?" I was incredibly eager to hear an account of my adventures other than my own._

_"Well, I did not piece together until recently exactly who you are, but you've given me clues to work with over the years. For instance, I've always sensed the aura of a fairy around you, so I assume that at one time you must have had a guardian fairy, correct?"_

_That remark brought back memories of Navi and Tatl, the fairies that I could never see again. I became slightly depressed, but that feeling could not outweigh my excitement._

_"Also, I can sense great power in the notes you play with that ocarina of yours. What finally convinced me, however, was when two of Hyrule's knights wandering through Kakariko a few days ago were grumbling to themselves about how some 'freak who thought he was a Kokiri' waltzed right into the castle, sparred with its knights, and beat every single one of them with ease. After I realized they were talking about you, I wagered that none but you could have wielded the Master Sword and waged battles across time as both child and adult."_

_I was no longer convinced that the man in front of me was actually the man I had been friends with for seven years. "Who are you?"_

_"I am just a Hylian intellectual who has sought out solitude from those who don't believe in the nonsense I have embraced. And in the meantime, I watch over the graves of my family. Now I finally know you are the Hero of Time, and you finally know I am descendant of those who built the Eye of Truth."_

_"…What happens next?"_

_"I train you."_

_"What? How? Why?"_

_"In the magic arts, of course. I imagine that as destiny's agent, you have learned a few tricks during your treks. But it is imperative that you continue to learn."_

_"You sound serious. Is there a reason other than self-improvement that I must do this? Are you an oracle?"_

_"No, I cannot tell the future. But I have read the messages by people long ago who _could_. It would make any other person sad if I were to tell them what I am about to tell you, but you are selfless and have known all along your life would not be easy. You have faced many trials, Hero, but you will face many more in the next few years. It is my duty to do all I can to help prepare you for them. I don't know how much I can assist you, as you have already learned so much about fighting during your short existence, but I must add some of my wisdom and power to yours. First I would like you to have this." He handed me the hookshot. "I have a feeling you also retrieved it from me during Ganondorf's reign, but now you may permanently add it to your inventory." _

_Despite my inquiries, he never has told me what those trials are. Perhaps _he_ doesn't know what they are, only that I will have plenty to face. Nevertheless, he has been teaching me ever since. He requests I come to see him at least once a month so that he can teach me more and see if I have mastered the abilities he has passed on to me. Before that unexpected conversation, I had known only a handful of magic tricks: the three goddess attacks (Din's Fire, Farore's Wind, and Nayru's Love), the three magic arrows (fire, ice, and light), and that attack without a name where I just spin around with my sword and look cool. Now I have mastered all those attacks, earned a much greater capacity for MP (that is, I have much greater stamina and can execute many more attacks before I have to replenish my magic power), and learned this awesome move where I shoot a beam of light energy (the same energy I use for the light arrows) from my palms, and Dampe even taught me how to brew my own potions. (As it turns out, it's not just 'mix these ingredients together in a certain way and you have a red potion.' You have to use magic to make it work and to hold the volatile components together in solution.) To top it off, he taught me how to compose magical songs, which we do together from time to time._

_Now I know why Dampe is still alive. He has found his purpose in life. He believes that Hyrule will face more dangers during my lifetime, and he is fulfilling his duty to the land by preparing me to face them. He has become something of a father figure to me. I've never had someone to look up to before, but I feel like I want to work to impress him._

_I'm going to practice making blue potions now. I'll write again tomorrow._

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The next three days were like a wonderful nostalgic dream for Link and Saria. They were together constantly. Playing, climbing trees, taking walks in the forest, fishing, swimming, sleeping under the same roof…they were inseparable, just as they had been before Link left the forest for the first time as a nine-year-old. They played tag and wrestled and pushed each other into the pond and engaged in other physical games like they had when they were both the same size. The only difference (other than Link's height and weight, of course) was the way she felt when he touched her. He would pin her to the ground while wrestling, and with him on top of her, with his body so close to hers, she felt a pleasant sensation course through her. She was slightly confused by it, but enjoyed it immensely nonetheless. At the same time, though, it left something to be desired. She couldn't explain it, but whenever they were in such close proximity, staring into each other's eyes, her body feeling warm, and him touching her…she felt that something else was supposed to happen. She didn't know what, but she was convinced that it had to be important. Link didn't seem to think so, though; he carried on normally, so she attributed the feeling to just being excited that her best friend was back. She tried to ignore the feeling, but it returned every time he touched her. On one occasion, he scooped her up in his arms bridal style, and before she discovered that he meant to throw her into the water, she was quite comfortable being held by him.

They were only away from each other when Link decided he needed to train, which was maybe three hours out of the afternoon. Saria occupied herself during those periods by sneaking into his house and reading his journal (entries 3, 4, and 5, specifically), and also by talking with the other Kokiri, who generally avoided her when Link was around but were glad to hang out with her when he wasn't.

Sadly, all dreams must come to an end. On the third day, Link announced that he was leaving again.

"But…why?" Saria was devastated. To her it seemed like he had only just come back to her, and now he had to leave?

Link looked just as upset. "I'm sorry, Saria. I promised Dampe I would visit him; but that's all I plan on doing. After I've spent some time with him, I'm coming straight back here."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

He walked away from her, away from all the Kokiri. She wiped a few tears from her eyes after he had left her sight. A cold emptiness filled her, a harsh contrast to the warmth she had experienced while in his company.

She realized it was getting more and more difficult for her each time he left. She didn't know why she felt so attached to him. It was like she was not herself when he wasn't around, like there was some hole inside her that only he could fill. She shook her head in an attempt to bring herself to her senses. 'Come on, Saria. It's okay. It's not like you don't have any friends other than him. Besides, he said he'd come back soon.' She had become too attached to the Hylian. She actually hurt whenever he was not around. He somehow meant a lot more to her than any of her other companions.

She shook her head more vigorously. She would not cry this time. He wasn't even going to be gone long. 'But what will happen after that? He'll stay with me a couple more days at best and then he'll leave again for several months, and I won't be able to do anything but mope around and miss him until he comes back for another short visit.' Her heart was breaking. She tried her best not to cry.

She failed.

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**Dannondorf:** Aw…that ending almost makes me want to cry…poor Saria. But don't worry: things will get better. I'm not just going to leave her hanging.

If you bothered to read, please review! Tell me what I did well and what I failed miserably at. You have no idea how happy it will make me! Hopefully, you'll all stick around for the next chapter. It should be up in about a week. See you later!

Dannondorf


	4. Lost Prophecies and Lost Woods

Saria's Wish

By Dannondorf

"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

**Author's Notes:** Woo hoo! An update in just three days! I got this done a lot sooner than I thought I would. Anyway, enjoy!

**Shout-outs: **Once again, **OyOfMidworld** is awesome for beta-ing this story. Thanks much, OyOfMidworld!

**Summary:** Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?

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Chapter 4: "Lost Prophecies and Lost Woods"

Link made it to Kakariko's graveyard late that night. Normal people would not like being disturbed at this hour, but luckily Dampe was not normal. He was a hermit, and as such he preferred to sleep during the day and wake at night when less people were around. Presently he was waiting for his pupil by a campfire he had set up in front of his house. The fire burned in the same spot as it had every night, providing the reclusive grave keeper light to work by.

Link entered the graveyard. When the two saw each other, there was no greeting: just a softening of the features on each other's faces into small grins. Link took a seat across from the sedentary Dampe, the fire between them. Neither said a word. They both were silent by nature and respected each other for it. However, one must occasionally speak if he is to be a good teacher, so at length Dampe opened his mouth to say something.

Link expected the usual "Have you practiced what we went over last time?" or "Today, we're going to (insert impossible task here)," but his expectations were not met.

"Link, I was reading some ancient scrolls today, and I found something…interesting…"

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Saria had a dream that night while Link was away. It was very real, and very strange, as were the majority of her memories of Link's childhood.

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Three-year-old Link ran playfully around the interior of Saria's house while she was busy making new clothes for the growing boy.

"Sa…Sa…ria?" He was barely able to pronounce her name. "Can we go climbing?"

Saria did not turn away from her work. "Not now, Link. I'm busy, and it's almost Mido's turn to watch you."

The Kokiri race did not know how to raise infants, since the forest people were typically born with the bodies of nine-year-olds; but at the request of the Great Deku Tree, they took this boy in and managed to make up for their lack of experience by having everyone pitch in and take turns caring for him.

"Oh. Okay…"

A few minutes passed with Saria hunched over her work and her back turned to Link until the sound of something light hitting the floor caused her to spin around in her chair. At first she couldn't find him; the only evidence that he had once been in the room was the cute hat which one of the other Kokiri had made for him. That hat was lying on the floor. Thinking the hat responsible for the noise, she looked directly above it and saw that the hatless Link had somehow gotten on top of a shelf seven feet above the floor. Her eyes widened in fear. 'How the heck did he get up there?!' When he saw that she was looking at him, he smiled and waved, but the complicated maneuver was not one he had mastered yet; as a result, he lost his balance and teetered dangerously on the edge before falling off headfirst.

Saria dove from her sitting position and miraculously caught him. Then she set him down and got ready to lecture him. He laughed and clapped his hands like the experience had been fun and non-life-threatening, but when he saw the way she was no longer happy and the way her hands were placed on her hips as she stood high above him, he looked down in shame. "Link, I told you no climbing! Look at me when I'm talking to you." He lifted his gaze slowly so as to not anger her further. "You need to listen to me and the others and do what we tell you! It's for your own safety, okay?"

"Okay. I sorry, Sa…Saria."

Saria smiled. She could never stay mad at Link for very long; he was just too adorable. "Don't worry about it. It's time for your nap. Go get some sleep."

The boy nodded and waddled over to a spot next to Saria's bed where a small makeshift bed had been made for him. He covered himself with a blanket, closed his eyes, put his thumb in his mouth, and soon became still. Saria stared at him and shook her head silently. 'What am I going to do with him?' He was certainly a handful…but now that he was asleep, she could focus on her work again. She sat back down in her chair and continued sewing.

For half an hour she did her best to concentrate, but her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking about what had been bothering her all day: that morning she had spoken to the Deku Tree, and he'd told her that in six years he was going to die. Not only that, but he had told her that she would have to take his place as leader of the Kokiri when it happened. 'Why did he tell me that? Why does he have to die?' The Deku Tree had been a father to her and the rest of her people. She had once thought that he would always be with them, but who would take care of them after six years had gone by?

A tear escaped and fell onto the garments she was creating. Then another, and another. She let herself cry quietly, and she continued until she felt something wrap around her leg. She gasped and looked down; it was Link. He was hugging her, but he didn't even come up to her waist. "Don't cry, Sa…ria. I sorry. I won't be bad anymore. Please don't cry." He sounded like he might burst into tears any moment.

Her heart liquefied to mush. 'Aw, he thinks I'm crying because of his behavior.'

Suddenly Mido came through the door. "Hey, Saria, you ready for me to take over your shift? I—" He saw the tears on her face. "Are you all right?" She didn't answer: she just kept crying, and his expression became grim. His eyes scanned the house wildly, searching for the cause of her sadness and coming to rest on the baby hugging her. He pointed accusingly at Link, who let go of Saria's leg and backed up in fear, convinced that this was his blunder. "Did he do something to you?" Mido seethed.

"No!" She reassured Mido. "I just—" She covered her face with her hands. The tears were flowing more quickly and freely now. "I have to go." She ran past him and out the door. She couldn't tell him the truth; the information the Deku Tree had passed on to her was for her ears only.

She ran into the empty house that was being built for Link for when he became of age, and inside there she sank to her knees and continued sobbing. She mourned for her father figure and asked herself how _she_ could possibly lead the Kokiri and take his place like he had asked her to.

It took a while, but she finally calmed down enough to come out of hiding. Upon leaving Link's future home, she was immediately greeted by Hanna, the one who had made Link's hat. Hanna was out of breath and panicked.

"Saria, Link's gone! We can't find him anywhere. Half an hour ago, the Know-it-all Brothers said that they saw him around the entrance to the Lost Woods. We've looked everywhere we can think of, but we can't find him!"

Saria paled and high-tailed it to the Lost Woods entrance. 'He wouldn't have gone in, would he?' He had been there before with the others, but never alone; the monsters within usually ignored the Kokiri, but for some reason they were aggressive when Link was nearby. She feared he wouldn't be safe without another Kokiri around. A handful of people remained in the village to look for him there while another handful had gone into the woods. That handful was near the beginning of the woods when Saria saw them.

"Saria, there you are! We can't find Link anywhere. We've searched the immediate area, but we think he may have gone deeper into the woods." They split up to find him. Saria went right and followed a twisted path. She walked for a fairly long time, thoroughly examining each area she came to. She was about to turn around and head back to see if the others had located him when she heard a piercing howl. Running to the source, she saw that an enormous wolfos had cornered Link. In the midst of her fear, she noticed he did not look the least bit scared; in fact he looked determined, like he was doing something that absolutely had to be done. She had never seen him look so courageous before. In his left hand was a small stick, and he was trying in vain to ward the creature off with it. The wolfos was ready to pounce on him, but Saria reached him first; when it saw her, it mysteriously calmed down, stopped growling, and walked away deeper into the forest.

Traumatized by what had almost happened, she dropped to her knees and held Link in a protective embrace. She was quite shaken up by the baby's near-death experience. "Link, why did you come to the Sacred Forest Meadow? Everyone was worried! You could have been killed!"

This apparently confused him. "B-but you said to do what you and, um, the others told me."

"What are you talking about? I never told you to do this!"

He moved his jaw a bit before speaking, trying to form his thoughts into words. "No, not you. Um, Mi…Mi…"

"Mido?" 'Oh no.' "What did Mido tell you to do?"

"He—he said 'you made her cry because she does not like you and she is not proud of you and you are not a real Kokiri.' Then he said, 'the only way to make her like you is to go all the way through the Lost Woods and fight the monsters there.' So I found a stick to fight with, but I think I'm lost. Is the Lost Woods almost done?"

'Mido,' she thought angrily. 'This is his doing. How could I have left him alone with Link?' From the start, he had been against taking Link in. He claimed the "outsider" was not a real Kokiri, despite what the Great Deku Tree had told everyone. This must have been his plan to get rid of the toddler. She balled her hands into fists even as she held Link, and her blue eyes shined with fury.

But now was not the time for anger. First and foremost, she had to take Link back to the village and let everyone know he was safe.

The toddler looked up into her eyes, hoping to find some direction in them, but all he could see was another reason to be confused. He didn't know what to think anymore; here he had been doing his best to do what he was told, but he had somehow upset Saria in the process. "Have I been bad? Are you, um, mad because I not done yet? I, I do it, I promise! I, um, I make you proud!"

She hugged him more tightly. "No, you haven't been bad. And from now on, don't listen to what Mido says, okay? I _do_ like you, and from now on I'm going to take his shift watching you."

"Yay!" He cheered, unaware not only of how close he had come to death but also of the fact that Mido had tried to get him killed. He had no idea what was going on, but if the end result was that he got to spend more time with his favorite grown-up, (at least, the Kokiri were grown up compared to him) he was sure it didn't matter.

Form then on, she spent more time than anyone else watching Link, and as he grew, she became closer to him. Eventually he was big enough that he didn't have to be watched, and he was allowed to live in his own private house like the others were. After that, Saria stayed close to him, but she became more of a sister or a friend than a guardian. They played games and slept over at each other's houses and ate their meals together. No one else ever joined them, though, and Link became somewhat of an outcast. He never seemed bothered by it, however, so they never spoke of it.

When he reached the standard Kokiri size, he was given all the rights and responsibilities that the others had, with one exception: he was still not allowed to venture into the Lost Woods alone. No one could figure out why, (though Mido shouted at the top of his lungs that it was because Link was not one of them) but the forest creatures never got used to his presence and were violent toward him.

Finally the time came when Saria decided he was ready to find out about what had happened to him that day in the Lost Woods. "Link, I know you're frustrated about not being able to go in there, but we have good reason. Do you remember ever going into the Lost Woods when you were three?"

He scratched his head. "I vaguely remember a wolfos much larger than me attacking and then you saving me. I think that was in the Lost Woods."

She proceeded to fill him in on the rest of the story and how it had been Mido's fault that it had ever happened. By the end of it, she expected him to be furious, but he kept a level head and laughed. "Yep, that sounds like Mido, all right."

She smiled. He had grown into a strong, kind, patient boy, and she was proud.

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Saria woke up in the present and wished she had kept dreaming. Selfish as she knew it was, she missed the days when she had Link all to herself, the days when he had no other friends or places to go to, the days before either of them knew about their destinies. Their lives had been so carefree back when they still had their innocence and ignorance to keep them happy.

But innocence was not meant to be kept. Link lost his when he killed his first enemy. Saria lost hers when she was almost killed by Phantom Ganon and his minions. Exposed to horrors that the majority of Hyrule was oblivious to, they had both changed. But when they were together, she felt just like she did those many years ago, and she was sure he did too.

Saria closed her eyes despondently. As hopeful as that thought was, all it did was serve to remind her that Link was gone. Sighing, she got up from her bed and started her morning routine. Her face was still dirty from crying yesterday, so she washed it in the stream that trickled through the village. Then she was ready to visit the Forest Temple for her daily prayer.

The path to the Lost Woods passed by Link's house, and as she neared it, she was surprised to hear noise coming from inside. Cautiously, quietly, she climbed the ladder that led up to his front door and peered inside. There, with his back was turned to her, was none other than Link! He was packing various things into his magical Kokiri pouch that could hold anything without being filled or feeling heavy. Seeing him, she immediately forgot all feelings of sadness she had been experiencing; the hole in her was now filled. With a yell of excitement, she leapt at him.

Link was packing for his journey when he heard a yell from behind. He tried to turn around, but didn't have enough time before the intruder jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck to stay on. The sudden impact resulted in him falling flat on his face with the Kokiri giggling on top.

"You came back!" she declared excitedly.

He said something in response, but since his face was pressed against the floor, she could not make out the words. After she got off and he picked himself up, he said with a smirk, "I told you I would, didn't I?"

"You did, I just…" She looked down at the ground, suddenly unable to think of anything to say.

"You didn't believe me?" He put on a fake teary face.

She rolled her eyes. "What are you doing, anyway?"

"Packing."

"Packing?" Her mind went into panic mode. "You're not leaving again so soon, are you?"

His face fell, for real this time. "I am. I have to."

Her face fell also. "Oh…" She turned away from him, not wanting him to see how disappointed she was.

He didn't have to see her face to know she was sad, though. "Saria, you have to hear me out on this one." He didn't sound sad. He sounded determined. She didn't turn back around. "You remember when I told you I thought Ganondorf was returning? Well, when I met with Dampe last night, we didn't have our usual magic session. He told me about something he read from long ago." She turned around. Whatever this was sounded like it would be pretty important. "I've told you before that he is a historian, and that he has access to many ancient books and scrolls written by mages and oracles. While reading one of them, he found some pages that predicted the coming of the Hero of Time. These pages mentioned the Hero's final trial. They said that in order for him to overcome it, he would have to travel through a 'forest that is difficult to navigate' in search of an item that would help him."

Saria scratched her head. "The Lost Woods?"

"That's what Dampe thinks. The pages said nothing about what the final trial would be or what the item is that's supposed to help, but Dampe recommended I investigate. He believes it's fate that he stumbled upon that old article. That's why I'm packing. This journey may take a long time, and I need to be prepared."

Her disappointment left her. If he was journeying through the forest, then maybe she could extend the amount of time she had with him before he left for good. "Let me come with you," she said quickly.

"Huh?" That wasn't the response he had been expecting. "You want to go?" He asked unsurely.

"Yes. What's wrong? You've always said you'd like to travel with me."

"I know. It's just that this might be dangerous."

Saria crossed her arms over her chest slightly indignantly. "I can defend myself if I have to; my sage powers are strongest when I'm in the Lost Woods. Besides, I know the area better than you do. And on top of that, I can calm any animals that are hostile toward you. None of the forest creatures will attack you as long as I'm around."

Link mulled over the idea in his head. 'Hm...Now that I think about it, fighting through hordes of wolfos doesn't really appeal to me. Taking her along would be a good idea.' He gave in easily. "Good point. All right. Pack whatever you think you'll need and come back here when you're done. I don't know how long we'll be gone, so bring anything you think we might need."

She grinned victoriously and rushed off to her dwelling.

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**Dannondorf:** Baby Link is cute! … … Other than that, I got nothing to say. Review, please! You know you want to!

The next chapter should be up within the week. Dannondorf out.


	5. Fairy Fountain

Saria's Wish

By Dannondorf

"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

**Author's Notes:** …I got nothing.

**Shout-outs: **I really need to write a song or a poem or something in honor of **OyOfMidworld**.

**Summary:** Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?

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Chapter 5: "Fairy Fountain"

After Saria told the rest of the village that she would be gone for a while, the Hero of Time and the Forest Sage left and ventured into the Lost Woods. As the self-proclaimed navigator, Saria took the lead while Link followed, keeping an eye out for anything that might attack.

Their mission was an odd one. Having no clue what they were really doing, the first hour of their hike was spent in a bewildered but focused silence. That hour of searching yielded no results, so finally Saria asked, "What exactly are we looking for?"

"I don't know," Link responded truthfully. "That's the problem. The best we can do is to stay alert for anything that sticks out."

"Oh. Okay…" Though she wouldn't voice her concern, Saria was already beginning to doubt the importance of their trip. Surely if this journey was crucial to the future safety of Hyrule, Dampe would have been able to find more details about it. Perhaps he had made a mistake?

Despite her negative thoughts, though, she found that she didn't care whether or not this whole thing was a fluke. She knew it was selfish, but her mind was not focused on the task at hand: it was focused on Link. This excursion meant that she got to spend more time with him, and at the moment, that was more important to her than any unconfirmed threat Hyrule faced.

They walked for the rest of the day. Due to Link's serious nature, (he was apparently much more determined to see the mission through than she was) they kept their conversation to a minimum, but Saria still treasured the time they were spending together. She did not need his voice to be happy: she only needed him.

Having no idea where their destination was, they reasoned that any direction was as good as the next, so after the first hour of wandering aimlessly they decided to just pick a direction and stick with it. They headed toward the Forest Temple, and beyond that, there were no more big openings; the Lost Woods became a thick forest with no definite paths. They entered the sea of trees, now walking side by side instead of one after the other since neither of them knew where they were going. Briefly afterward, the sun fell below the horizon, and the lack of light forced them to stop for the night.

It was difficult with the trees so close together, but the two managed to find enough room to lie down comfortably. It was of course easy for her since her body was small, but Link had to contort his body strangely just to get into a reasonable sleeping position: he had to lie on his side so that his width wasn't crushed between two trees, and he had to bend his legs around another.

Saria giggled as he struggled to adapt to the lack of open space. Link was not amused. "What's so funny?" he asked, faintly annoyed.

"You," she replied simply.

"Whatever." He tried to sound angry, but Saria caught the small grin on his face in the dim light. He took his hat off and placed it on the ground under his head to serve as a cushion. "Good night." This time, his voice was cheerful.

"Good night." She replied just as cheerfully.

They were to get up at first light, so both tried to fall asleep as quickly as possible. Link reached unconsciousness in fifteen minutes, but despite her efforts, Saria was still wide awake an hour later, thinking about Link. She kept telling herself that she needed a good night's rest, but her mind refused to cooperate. It kept bringing up questions that demanded her full attention: why had she felt so different around Link these past few days? Whenever he touched her, whenever he was around her…things weren't the same between them as they used to be. She didn't know how or why, but she was sure something had changed. What was it about him that made him different from her other friends, and why was it that she couldn't seem to get him off her mind?

Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw him. She saw the two of them laughing together, playing together, and just _being_ together. She vaguely wondered if he saw those things too when he closed his eyes. Then she wondered if he saw himself playing with Malon or Sheridan or Ruto instead of her.

Even in her half-asleep state, she instantly became melancholy. But then her mind wandered to bizarre thoughts that had not occurred to her during the day. She wondered what would happen if _she_ were an adult like Link's three female friends. Would he then see her in his mind the way she saw him? Suddenly feeling competitive, she wondered if she would be prettier than his female friends if she was an adult.

Her eyes opened widely in alarm. Where had that thought come from? Another hour of thought yielded no insight to this problem, unfortunately, and, finally exhausted, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

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They got going again in the morning as soon as it was bright enough. Link stood and stretched, his body cramped in several places from his compromised sleeping position, and after a quick breakfast, the two were off.

Since Link wouldn't talk, Saria occupied herself by remembering what she had thought about the night before. When she couldn't resolve any of the problems that had been bugging her, she looked over at her friend. 'He looks so serious…I wish he would just talk to me. I wish he would think about _me_ once in a while instead of this stupid trip.'

She immediately scolded herself upon having this thought; she wasn't being fair. He had good reason to be serious if the item that would help him beat Ganondorf for good was out here somewhere. 'Besides, he does think about me. I'm his best friend, and I'm sure he would never visit if he didn't care about me. Goddesses know he has no other reason to ever come to the forest.'

There were no landmarks, and every area of the woods looked exactly the same. It was just trees, trees, and more trees, growing so closely together that the duo found it difficult to weave between them. Low branches and twigs scratched at their clothing as if trying to hold them back, but Saria and Link pushed forward. This continued until some time in the afternoon, when the forest's denseness finally let up: the trees were once again far enough apart that people could walk among them without too much effort, and when Link spotted a large stump, it didn't take him long to realize he knew where they were. "I've been here before…" he murmured thoughtfully.

Saria blinked. 'He spoke!' "Really? We're already further than I've ever been. When were you here?"

"I don't—oh, I know. This is close to where I found the path connecting Hyrule and Termina. Come on." They kept going, and minutes later they arrived at an opening and a dirt path. Link's jaw dropped.

Seeing his reaction, she looked at him quizzically. "What? What is it?"

"The, the path!" he exclaimed. "It's open again!"

She followed his gaze and eyed the path. It looked pretty ordinary to her. It certainly didn't look like it connected parallel dimensions. "Didn't you say it was closed, though?"

"Yeah, it was, but wow! I can go to Termina again!"

As great as it was to have Link being enthusiastic instead of boring and quiet, Saria couldn't help worrying for a moment. "Why do you think the pathway opened again all of a sudden?"

"I have no idea." As he looked on in awe, something further up the dirt road caught his eye. "Hey, is that—?"

Right on the borderline between the two regions was a pile of various articles. He sprinted over to them before Saria could blink.

"YES!" His cry of excitement rang through the forest as he dug through the pile.

Saria went to the pile much more slowly than he had, and she gazed at the items. They were masks, many masks, more than she cared to count. Confused, she cut off his victory dance. "Link, what is all this?"

"These are all the masks I collected in Termina. They all have magical properties and grant special abilities to the one who wears them. I had to use them to save Termina. I tried to take them back to Hyrule, but the spirits inside them are bound to their kingdom, so I had to leave them here."

"You just left them in the middle of the path? What if someone had found them?"

"No one in Termina is aware of this path connecting their kingdom and Hyrule. In fact, they aren't even aware of a kingdom called Hyrule, just like no one in Hyrule except the people I've told know about Termina. As far as I know, the Happy Mask Salesman and I are the only ones who have ever crossed it." He picked up each mask one by one and explained to her what they did. After he put them all into his Kokiri pouch, he noticed that something had gone unnoticed at the bottom of his pile. "All right!" He grabbed the notebook and held it in the air. Seeing her bemused expression, he explained. "It's the Bombers' Notebook, for members of the Bombers Secret Society of Justice. I joined while I was in Termina. You see, the bombers were a group of kids, all around the age of seven, (or at least that's how old they were when I was running around Termina) dedicated to helping others. In my notebook they put pictures of twenty people from Clocktown who needed help of some kind and recorded those peoples' schedules over the three-day period I stayed. See here? Their pictures are on the left, and the schedules are in the middle."

Saria smiled; it was good to have him talking again. "Why did you leave that behind? It's not inhabited by spirits too, is it?"

"No, but I still couldn't take it to Hyrule for some reason. I think it's because it has the names of some of Termina's citizens written inside it."

"Those stickers must be really old. I'm surprised they haven't come off. What are they for?"

"The small ones covering parts of the schedules are called promise stickers; I used them whenever I made a promise to someone. The big ones on the right side of the page are called happiness stamps," he said, gesturing to the right-hand side of the book. "When you fulfill your promises to someone, you make them happy, which in turn makes _you_ happy, and the stickers show that."

Saria chuckled at his naivety. "That seems childish even to me, and I'm an eternal child."

"I guess so, but as childish or naïve as it may sound, I had a lot of fun. Plus it felt good helping the townsfolk. I really _did_ become happier with every happiness stamp I put in my notebook. Even though I only got to live the same three days with that kingdom's inhabitants over and over, I got to know them well, and I loved them all by the time my adventure was over."

As sweet as she thought it was that he was so dedicated to helping others, she couldn't help rolling her eyes. "Link, sometimes I don't think you're capable of harboring bad feelings toward anyone."

His tone darkened, and the smile that had formed when he found his lost possessions faded from his face. "That's not true. I hate Ganondorf and Majora's Mask with every fiber of my being."

Saria's smile faded as well, and she became nervous.

_'Ganondorf is coming back.'_

She shook her head to rid herself of that unpleasant thought and decided to change the topic. She flipped through the album and noticed that all twenty pictures had happiness stamps by them. "You were able to help all of them?" He nodded silently. She flipped past the page with the twentieth person and found that the list went much further. "Hey, I thought you said there were only twenty people."

"I said that the _Bombers_ only put twenty people in. Since they were only kids, they weren't allowed outside the village and only knew of people in Clocktown who needed a hand. The rest are folks I found all across Termina who were in need. I didn't know any of their schedules, but I took pictures of them with my pictobox and put them in my notebook; and I helped them the best I could. There were so many distressed souls out there."

This piqued Saria's interest, and she figured that since she already had him talking, this would be the perfect opportunity to get him to open up about his adventure, something he had never done before. "Like who? You never really went into much detail about what happened during your second 'save the world' stunt. Tell me about it."

Sensing her intent, Link was suddenly uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading. "You'd be bored," he said, trying to end it.

Saria looked hurt. "No, I wouldn't. Please, Link, there are too many things you never talk about. It scares me to think that you've had to deal with so many horrors at such a young age and you won't tell anyone about them."

"…" He remained silent.

She put her hand on his shoulder and made him look into her pleading emerald eyes. "Please. I'm your best friend. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

But Link was stubborn. "…I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not? I want to know!"

"Well, it's like you sages said when we decided to go back in time seven years and erase everyone's memory: people deserve to be ignorant of terrible evils. It's amazing how much trouble can arise from one person like Ganondorf or Majora with evil in his heart."

"Yeah," Saria grabbed his hand, "and it's amazing how much good can come from one person who just wants to help others. You don't realize how special you are, Link. You've changed so many lives and spread happiness to so many people. You're important to the people you've touched, especially me." She didn't know why she did what she did next. Maybe it was because of how sweet his third journal entry was. Maybe she just felt sorry for the underappreciated hero. Maybe she was just greedy for the warm feeling she felt whenever they touched. Whatever the case, she surprised him by wrapping her arms around him and pressing her head against his chest. "If not for you, Phantom Ganon would have killed me, but you rushed into battle without even considering your own safety and saved me. You're so brave."

He eyed her strangely. "You think _I'm_ brave? You're braver than you think, Saria; you accepted your fate with much more maturity than I did. When I woke up in the Sacred Realm as an adult, I didn't know what I was going to do. Rauru and Sheik kept calling me the Hero of Time, and I was trapped in a grown-up body I didn't know. I told myself over and over, 'You're not the Hero of Time. You're just a kid. Go back home in the forest where you belong.' When I did that, I found that Ganondorf had put monsters everywhere and you were in trouble. I panicked, but when I finally saw you again, you were so calm. You'd already accepted that you had to be the Forest Sage, while I was still denying who I was. You helped me grow up."

"I did a good job," she bragged. He laughed. He was about to get up and start walking again, but Saria stopped him. "You still haven't told me anything about Termina."

Link sighed. He had not succeeded in distracting her. He didn't want to talk about it, but it was clear that she was going to push this subject until he caved in. What could he do? Even after nine years, he still wasn't ready to reopen old wounds and tell her about the terrible things he had seen. He wasn't ready to tell her about how much the Ikana Canyon, the land of the dead, had frightened him. He wasn't ready to tell her about the demon, the Fierce Deity, living inside of him…

It was all too much. He couldn't tell her now. But maybe he could someday. "Let's drop it for now," he said resolutely. Before she could protest, he cut her off and spoke again. "I promise I'll tell you everything someday, but…not right now, okay? We need to get going." He put the notebook in his inventory and stood, ready to continue the walk.

She scowled at him. He hadn't opened up as much as she would have liked, but at least he had promised he would eventually. She'd let it slide for now. 'But later…' "Are we done? Do you think one of those masks is the item Dampe said you'd need?"

His face scrunched up in concentration. "No, I don't think so. I have a feeling we should keep going."

She grumbled. She was sick of walking. "Well, if you really think that item's still out there…"

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They continued to trek deeper, deeper into the forest. Two more days passed by. As they ventured further from the safe haven of the Kokiri Village, the animals became more aggressive. Link was constantly wary of his surroundings. There was always a pack of wolfos staring at him from afar, growling menacingly. They never attacked, though, for fear and respect of the Forest Sage. He knew that were she not with him, they would not hesitate to rip him apart.

When they had ventured so far from home that even Link was starting to think that maybe they should head back, Saria suddenly gasped and fell into a hole in the ground that had been hidden by dead leaves and brush. "Saria!" He peered into the hole and saw nothing but darkness. "Are you all right?" He called.

To his surprise, she called up that she was fine. "Oh my gosh, Link! You have to come see this!" She exclaimed, sounding absolutely enchanted. "It's, it's beautiful!"

He jumped into the hole after her, and when he landed he saw that they were in a Great Fairy's Fountain. Saria was in front of him, already walking forward in fascination, taking in the details of the place, but he did not bother. Having been to places like this before, he watched her in amusement as she gawked at the sights before her.

After he had had his fun, he walked past her, stopping on top of the Triforce symbol on the floor at the edge of the fountain. Knowing exactly what he was supposed to do, he grabbed his Fairy Ocarina and played Zelda's Lullaby.

Saria looked at him questioningly as the last note echoed across the room, and she actually jumped back in surprise when she heard a great laugh and a large figure materialized, hovering over the fountain. The Great Fairy had answered Link's call. Done examining the room, Saria looked at her in awe, and Link did the same; no matter how many times one sees a Great Fairy, the sight of one is still impressive.

The Fairy spoke in a grandiose voice. "Hero of Time. Forest Sage. I am glad you came. Do you know what you're here for?"

Link and Saria exchanged looks of confusion before he turned back to the Fairy and raised a brow. "Do _you_?"

"Yes, I do. You came here to find something that would help you in the future, and it is in my domain."

"Really?" Saria asked. "Where is it?"

"It is in the next room."

The wandering pair looked to where she was gesturing and saw a door in the right wall that they hadn't noticed before. "Thank you," Link said. He and the Kokiri started toward the door, but the Great Fairy stopped them.

"Halt, Forest Sage. The Hero of Time is to go there alone."

"Why?" Saria asked, clearly miffed. "I can take care of myself."

"I ask that you trust me on this. He must do this by himself, or he will fail."

"Do what?" Link asked.

"You will see."

Link gave Saria an apologetic look. "I'll be back." He opened the door and disappeared on the other side, and the door shut behind him.

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**Dannondorf:** Uh-oh! What's behind the door? You'll have to stick around until the next chapter to find out! XD As usual, I'll have it up in about a week.

I'm trying to make this story the very best it can be, so tell me what you think about it. Were there parts I could have written better? If you tell me what's wrong, I'll promise to do my best to fix it. That's what criticism is for, right? Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far! Dannondorf out.


	6. Familiar Foe

Saria's Wish

By Dannondorf

"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

**Author's Notes:** …why do I even bother having an "Author's Notes" section if I'm not going to say anything?

**Shout-outs: **Shout-outs go to **Forest Girl Kaz**, my only reviewer for the last few chapters, and, as usual, **OyOfMidworld**, my awesome beta-reader.

**Summary:** Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?

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Chapter 6: "Familiar Foe"

On the other side of the door was a large open room. Link stepped in and stopped to look around. It was exactly like the Fairy Fountain he had just come from, but without the fountain part. Even without it, though, the room still had that heavenly look he had come to associate with the domains of Great Fairies.

At first glance, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but remembering that he also hadn't seen the door leading into here until the Great Fairy had pointed out to him, he decided to walk around the perimeter and survey the place. He took one more step away from the door. It shut behind him, and as per tradition, iron bars materialized over it, effectively sealing off his only exit. Surprise etched his features as he turned around and examined the bars covering the doorway. An alarm went off in his head; iron bars usually meant that someone was trying to trap him in a room with an enemy, so before anything could get the jump on him, he turned back around and drew his Gilded Sword and Hylian shield.

He expected to see that the room was still empty when he completed his turn, but when his feet stopped and his body stopped spinning, he came face to face with…himself. A man exactly like him, with the very same clothes, hair, body shape, and skin tone, was standing in front of him. Link gawked at him, and the surprised look was returned. Apparently, he was just as nonplussed at seeing Link as Link was at seeing him. But then the double's stare transformed into a malicious smile, and Link realized who it was. Link's face returned to its usual serious, emotionless expression. "It's been a while. I thought I killed you in the Water Temple."

Dark Link's face became stony like his counterpart's. "You will never be rid of me. As long as you exist, so will I. I have been here recovering and waiting for you ever since I was forced to retreat from our last bout."

"You are a part of me; if I die, you will too, so why do you want to kill me?"

"I wish to kill you because that is my purpose; everyone's evil side wishes to destroy their good, and I am no exception, even though in killing you, I will also be destroying myself."

"So if I kill you, will I cease to exist as well?"

"Ha! _You_? Kill _me_? I already told you that you can never be rid of me. No person can make his dark side go away forever. Even if you manage to defeat me, that's all you'll be able to do; I will merely go into hiding again until I recover, and then at the right time I will face you once more. You can no more rid yourself of me than you can rid yourself of Ganondorf."

Link smiled. "Of course _you_ would say something like that about Ganondorf. As my evil side, you represent all of my doubt, so you actually think I won't be able to beat him next time he comes around. But I believe I can, and you cannot convince me otherwise."

Dark Link's laugh was full of contempt. "Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you? And what makes you so confident?"

Link's smile became a full-fledged smirk. "Well, I beat _you_, didn't I?"

Dark Link frowned. "You shouldn't anger me. I may exist only to kill you, but once I'm finished with you I may decide to take care of that lovely little girl you came with. She's so kind and gentle…exactly the kind of person I'd enjoy torturing."

Now Link was angry, but he was also confused. "You're bluffing. If you kill me, you won't be around anymore to bother anyone else."

"Who said I had to kill you right away? All I have to do is knock you out. Then I can tie you up, and when you wake I will be right in front of you with her struggling in my arms. First I'll slap her around a bit and bruise her face up real good, then I'll slowly cut her body up until her pretty green hair and clothes are red all over. After a while, I'll present her to Ganondorf as a prisoner, and I bet he'll have even _more_ fun with her! Of course, I still intend to kill you; I'll do it after you've seen Saria and all your other friends suffer, after you're completely convinced that their pain is your own fault because you couldn't defeat me. I'll break the girl's spirit in front of you and make her curse your name." He drew his sword and shield, exact replicas of the Hylian shield and Gilded Sword which Link held. "Let's begin, already. I can't wait."

Hearing this speech, Link's courage wavered for a split second, but he did not let it show. With each word Dark Link had said about hurting Saria, Link's anger had risen, and with each word Link had used to mock Dark Link, Dark Link's resentment had done the same. The evil man's eyes were blood red slits. This was the only difference in appearance between the two opponents. Link looked into those seething eyes and thought, 'Whoa, he really is as angry as I am. Why did he have to drag her into this? I will not let him hurt her! And yet, I want to hurt him for threatening to hurt her, so am I really any better than him?' He shook that thought away. "What makes you think that even if you beat me you'll be able to get your hands on her? The Great Fairy will prevent you."

"You're a fool. The Great Fairy cannot directly interfere in matters involving the holders of the Triforce, and I, like you, possess the Triforce of Courage. Why do you care so much about the child, anyway? She doesn't care for you, you know. She resents you just like the rest of the Kokiri."

Link tried to keep his calm, but was aware that his temper was rising. "Shut up!"

"She's just too kind to show it."

Link said nothing in response. Part of what his nemesis said was true: Saria _was_ very kind, so who was to say that the other part wasn't true as well? The nightmare he had written about in his journal came to mind: Saria, crying, telling him she hated him.

He blinked to clear the image from his mind's eye. He could not afford to get distracted when Dark Link was before him. And yet, he couldn't help thinking about what his nemesis had said. Link had often wondered what Saria thought about him. They were supposed to be best friends, but if his dream was to come true, then their bond couldn't be that strong. She hadn't thanked him for getting her that Moon's Tear for her birthday, had she?

Link had had enough. He needed to get off this train of thought before it cost him his concentration. He needed to focus on something else, anything else. He eyed his opponent and had a startling revelation. "Last time I saw you, you had my basic body shape, but you were still nothing more than a shadow with red eyes. Why is it that now you look just like me, right down to the clothes and the color of my hair? Don't get me wrong, it's a good look, I'm just wondering why the change."

"It's the same reason that I was able to recover from our last battle even though I didn't possess a corporeal body back then: every time you sin, you develop my character a little more. I grow and mature just like you do, and eventually I became complex enough that I had to be defined by a real body instead of just a shade."

"Well then, I guess I can't call you Dark Link anymore."

"You may call me your better. You think you stand a chance against me or Ganondorf? He has been training just like you have. I can sense him, and he has become much stronger."

This piqued Link's interest. "How can you sense him?"

"Don't think I'm only capable of doing what you can do; he created me, you know. He made a copy of your dark side and gave it physical form, and in doing so he poured a tiny part of himself into me to keep me from falling back apart into the nothingness I was born from. Therefore I have a special kind of bond with him, similar to the bond you share with him through the Triforce, but less vague. But I digress. Are you ready, hero?"

Their swords clashed in perfect symmetry, and the battle began.

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After a while, the Great Fairy sensed the end of the battle, though Saria still had no clue that Link had been fighting. "Forest Sage."

"Hm?" Saria looked up from where she had been sitting for the past hour.

"Link has completed his trial. Can I ask you to retrieve him for me?"

Befuddled, Saria stared at her. "…He can't return on his own?"

The Fairy shook her head no.

"Sure." She smiled. 'Finally I get to do something. I was getting really bored.' She walked through the door she had been forbidden from entering earlier and entered the large open room. There she found her friend.

"Link!" Her smile vanished. Saria took in his status and ran over to him. He was covering a serious wound in his right arm with his left hand, part of his face was burned, there was a deep gash in his left side, and he was covered in his own blood which had poured from various little cuts all over body. His tunic had been sliced in various places, and he was pale, probably from the blood loss. He was leaning against a wall for support.

"Saria…" He smiled and replied weakly before sliding down the wall into a sitting position. "I…did it…"

"What happened?"

"I fought myself. I fought Dark Link. And I won."

"Oh, Link," her voice quivered. "We have to get you back to the Great Fairy. Can you stand?"

"I…" He tried pushing himself off the ground, but couldn't. He fell back into his sitting position, looking very tired from the effort. "I don't think so."

Saria was in an awkward position. An adult would have been able to help him up, but she only had a nine-year-old body. "Link, try again, and I'll help you this time." He did as he was told, and she exerted what little strength she had to help pull him up. With her aid, he managed to stand, but he had to lean on her. Being a full two feet shorter than him, she felt like she was going to collapse under his weight, but she ignored this and began to slowly guide him out of the room. They could only move inches at a time.

Once they saw the Great Fairy again, Link collapsed to the ground and didn't move. "Link?" Saria said. No reaction. "Link?" A little more desperate this time. Link didn't budge. She shook him; it was like shaking a dummy. "No! Wake up!" She hugged him and sobbed into his chest, one of the only parts of the tunic which was still green.

"Calm yourself, Forest Sage. I will take care of him."

"What—?" Saria felt Link's body being lifted, and she let go of him. She looked to the center of the fountain and saw that the minor deity's arm was outstretched toward the fallen warrior; she was using magic to lift him into the air. Blue rings of light rose from the ground and surrounded him in a cylindrical fashion. Then they disappeared and he was gently lowered back onto the ground in his original lying position.

"He will be fine, but for now he needs to rest."

Though his wounds were now healed and the blood wiped away by the blue magic, the image of his body sliced open and covered in blood was still in Saria's head. "He shouldn't have had to get hurt this badly. Why wouldn't you let me help him?"

"Dark Link would have grabbed you and used you as a hostage. Link would have surrendered and let himself be killed rather than see you get hurt. Hyrule still needs him, so I did not allow that to happen."

"Still...it should not have to be this way." Using her Forest Sage powers, she examined his spirit. It had almost completely faded from existence.

Twenty minutes passed in silence. Apparently never having anyone visit had taken its toll on the Great Fairy, as she did not start another conversation and just floated idly in place, making no more noise than the unconscious man. Finding nothing better to do, Saria reached into her own Kokiri pouch and pulled out the Moon's Tear, the jewel he had given her. She still had not properly thanked him for it. She stared at it and sat in contemplation. At length, she broke the quiet. "Great Fairy, What does Link desire?" She asked quietly, so that Link would be out of hearing range in case he suddenly awoke.

The Great Fairy studied her curiously. "Why do you ask, child?"

She showed her the Moon's Tear. "Well, he got me this incredible jewel recently, and I wanted to get him something he liked for his birthday. I think it's about a month away."

"Link desires many things, my dear. That's what makes him so ambitious and reckless, and that is one reason he makes a perfect hero. As people grow older and learn more about the world, it is only natural for them to become more complex in response and want more. When Link was a simple child, the great Farore visited him in a dream and asked what he desired, and he only had one answer: to protect you. He said that you had always protected him from the other Kokiri and the monsters in the Lost Woods since he was a baby. He wanted to be able to do the same for you if the time ever came. He wanted some way to repay you for all the kindness you had shown him."

She looked down. "I didn't really do anything other than keep him company."

"Oh, but you did. You were his only friend for a long time. If he hadn't been shown any affection at that fragile part of his life, he may not have grown up to be the good person he is now."

That caught her attention. "What would he have grown up to be?"

"An evil man. Frankly, he would have grown up to be a Dark Link. I told you that ambition and recklessness make a great hero, didn't I? They also make a great villain. Had the threads of fate been spun a bit differently, he could have been just as evil as Ganondorf."

That was a bit difficult to swallow. "I don't believe that. Link is a good person."

"Of course he is, but that is only because he has found a reason to be so."

"And what is that reason?"

"You and the rest of his friends. He could have chosen something else to fight for, however. You see, great heroes and great villains have much in common. Link and Ganondorf are both strong and dedicated to their purposes to the point where they would do anything to achieve them. The only way they diverge, the only thing that separates them into good and evil, is that Link chooses to fight for others while Ganondorf chooses to fight for himself. That is the fundamental difference between Power and Courage. Think about it. Link is typically a quiet person; he does not express any emotion unless he is around those he is closest to, namely you and a handful of others. Therefore is it so hard to believe that had he not had anyone close to him as a child he might have developed a different outlook on life?"

"I suppose that's logical." Saria admitted defeat.

"Also, I'm sure you've noticed that he tries his hardest not to let anything get to him. In doing so he bottles his rage. When he finally lets it out, he usually explodes. That is dangerous and would be perfect for a villain with no care for the well-being of the people he takes his rage out on."

'She's right. I've only seen him angry a few times in his life, but when he does let it show, it's scary.' She had admitted defeat, but she still didn't like the idea of him being twisted and evil, so she brought back the original topic. "Excuse me, but you still haven't answered my question."

"Your…" She hovered for a second in bewilderment before she remembered what the Forest Sage had initially asked. "Oh, you're right! Sorry, I tend to go off on tangents sometimes. Well, as I explained earlier, people grow more complex with their understanding of the world. He used to want only to help you, but after he went beyond the Kokiri Forest and made new friends, he began to want to help them too. As far as I know, there is only one other thing he presently wants: to go back to the way things used to be."

"In what way?"

"He longs for the simplicity of his childhood, back when all he cared about was being around you, his best friend, and he didn't have to worry about being a hero or training. Sadly, he can never go back to being a child. Most everyone wishes they could relive the past, and none can ever do it, but it is even more impossible for him because of all he has seen and done, because of all the creatures he has killed and the horrors he's witnessed. To have lost one's innocence at such a young age…I can't imagine…"

"Please tell me…does he….regret being a hero?"

"He does not regret saving everyone, but I imagine he wishes that he hadn't been forced to grow up and mature into a hero at only nine years old. Even though Princess Zelda sent him back in time after he defeated Ganon so that he could make up his missing years, he did not know how to go back to being a kid. His trials in Hyrule and Termina caused him to take everything much more seriously after he was done with them."

"I feel so sorry for him. I feel a bit guilty too. Did the sages and I _force_ him to be a hero?"

The Great Fairy's demeanor showed regret. "It is not because of you that he was forced to become a hero and a man. It was because of what Ganondorf wanted to do to you. Link would not let that happen, so he did what he had to do to stop him. Ganondorf is the one at fault here."

"I wish I had been with him to help get the spiritual stones and the sages' medallions and the four evil masks. He's my friend. I should have been there for him."

"You mustn't be so hard on yourself; you did everything you could. You could not leave the forest except to go to the Sacred Realm, so you could not have possibly joined him when he went to Termina. And when he was saving Hyrule, you weren't even allowed to see him when he was in the forest because you were a sage and had to stay in the Sacred Realm. You helped him more than you think, though; you gave him something to fight for. In a world he didn't understand full of giant monsters, cross-dressing princesses, and the living dead, you were the one thing he held on to, and he didn't want you to suffer under Ganondorf's rule. You mean a great deal to him. The bond shared between best friends is truly remarkable."

"And yet I shunned him…after he solved the puzzles of the Forest Temple and awakened me as a sage, I told him that it was destiny that we could not live in the same world, but after the whole ordeal was over, after Ganon was defeated and the Master Sword was put back in its place, he still came back to the forest to be with me anyway. Now I feel kind of bad and silly for having ever said that to him."

"It is merely luck that you and the other sages didn't have to spend the rest of your lives in the Sacred Realm. It could have easily ended up that way, so you have no reason to feel silly. But enough about that. You wish to know what he desires, yes? Perhaps it would help if you looked inside his mind."

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**Dannondorf:** What will she find inside his mind? (That rhymed!) You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out! It should be up within the week.

Please, please, PLEASE tell me what you think! I'm trying to make this the best Link/Saria story ever, but to do that, I need your help! I can't do it without your feedback! So please, if you took the time to read this, drop a review and let me know how you feel about Saria's Wish. Dannondorf out.


	7. Memories

Saria's Wish

By Dannondorf

"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

**Author's Notes:** All right! This has to be my quickest update yet! This chapter's going to be long, so hang with me here! Unfortunately, it's a bit low on Link/Saria fluff when compared to the other chapters, but it's essential for plot development. We find out how the Fierce Deity came to be inside Link, and we learn a little bit about Link's childhood with Mido. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

**Shout-outs: OyOfMidworld** is just the coolest person ever. I'm not going to lie.

**BlueJx23:** Thank you for your reviews! Yes, I have to admit that you're right about the Fairy Fountain setup being a little hasty. I'm pretty surprised that you stayed up that late just to read my story. Thanks to you, I will now almost certainly get a big head. :p Anyway, it sucks that your connection is getting cut off, but I promise that when you get it back up there will be plenty for you to read.

**Forest Girl Kaz: **I owe you big time for pointing out those two typos. Please accept my virtual hug as thanks.

**Flames Chaos and Wolf: **Here's some more material for you to read, silly. :p

**Summary:** Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?

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Chapter 7: "Memories"

"Perhaps it would help if you looked inside his mind."

Saria's eyes went wide. 'Is she serious?' For a brief moment, she grew excited. She had been wondering for a while what Link thought of her, and here was her chance to find out! Also, this was a great opportunity to finally get some insight into the details of Link's adventures that he refused to open up about.

Just as quickly as it had come, though, her excitement disappeared, and she realized that looking inside his head would be wrong. It would be like reading his journal, only ten times worse, and she already felt guilty enough as it was from doing the latter. A _real_ friend wouldn't invade Link's privacy like she had. She had to stop. Besides, he had promised to open up to her about his quest in Termina someday, right? That should have been enough for her.

Thus the only real reason she had to look into his mind was her own selfish desire to find out what he thought about her, whether she was constantly on his mind the way he was on hers, whether he cared about any of his other female friends more than he cared about her. She wanted to know; she had been thinking about it for such a long time now, but she couldn't betray her friend's trust like that. Not again.

"Close your eyes."

"Great Fairy, I—" Saria tried to protest, but she was cut off.

"Close your eyes."

Determination hardened Saria's face. "I won't. What's inside his head is his own business. I have no right to peer into it."

"I understand your objections, but there are some things you must see. I will not allow you to leave here until you bear witness to them."

A staring contest ensued. Both looked equally determined to get their way, but in the end Saria sighed and gave up. Despite her protests, she was ready to obey if there was something she absolutely _had_ to see. Part of her screamed at herself that she was just using that as an excuse to look inside Link's head, but she ignored it.

"Close your eyes," the Great Fairy said a third and final time. Saria did so, and suddenly she felt her body being violently jerked. She gasped in surprise, and when she opened her eyes to reconfirm her surroundings, she saw to her alarm that she was in a void with the Great Fairy nowhere in sight.

Nevertheless, the Great Fairy's voice soon sounded to let her know she was there. "Do not be afraid. Right now you are deep within his brain." A myriad of blurred images appeared and circled her from a great distance. "On the left side you will find his pleasant thoughts, his happiest memories that he shall cherish for as long as he lives. On the right, you will find moments in his life which were especially traumatic or painful and which have scared or upset him so greatly that they will haunt him forever. Peruse them in any order you see fit."

'What? I only get to see his memories?' She was slightly upset about this because it meant she was less likely to find out what Link thought about her, but she still held on to the hope that she would find out regardless. After weighing her options carefully, she chose to explore the positive side first, if only because she figured there was a greater probability of finding feelings for her on that side than on the negative one.

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She zoomed in on one thought and saw nine-year-old Link on the day he had finally been given a guardian fairy. She remembered firsthand how happy he had been when he came down from his house that morning with Navi following. He at last believed that he belonged in the forest and that he was a real Kokiri.

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She examined another thought. Sixteen-year-old Link was standing in the Temple of Time, awestruck as Sheik revealed himself to be Princess Zelda. He was so relieved that she was safe and not in Ganondorf's clutches.

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Another thought. Link and Saria were hugging each other after he had given her the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen. He was happier than he had ever been. Saria's heart melted at the scene, and she recalled how incredibly beautiful the flowers were and how nice it was of him to get them for her.

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Next he was a sitting in a bed in Malon's house after having just returned from the Water Temple. Malon was putting bandages over several gaping wounds in his body. When she was done, she said sweetly, "You know you can always come back here, Link. You'll always be my friend. You needn't worry about being a burden; I'll never forget everything you've done for me. Now get some rest; you'll need it if you're going to try to sneak off tomorrow before I wake up like you always do. Just be careful and promise me that you'll visit again once you beat the Water Temple, okay?" He was thankful that he had found such a wonderful friend in Malon.

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After that she saw Link on his first visit to Zora's Domain as a child. A Zora was teaching him how to dive. "But…" Link said, "I'm afraid of heights. I don't think I can make myself dive headfirst from this high up."

"Don't worry," said the Zora calmly. "Just know that as long as you execute the dive properly, you will not be harmed. You already know how to do it correctly; I've seen you do it from lower precipices. Does the fact that you're just a bit higher up this time really make a difference?"

Link took a deep breath, conjured up all his bravery, and nervously dove off as he was told. After he came back up from the water, he realized that his mentor had been right. He felt a sense of accomplishment swelling within him. When he climbed the stairs back up to his jumping spot, the Zora commended him. "That was an excellent form. You see? It's not so bad if you just go right out and do it. It took me over half my life to discover this, but once you get over your fear, you'll find that there's not much you can't do."

Link took these words to heart; from then on, they were the doctrine he lived by. As he continued his quest, he noticed all the things he was doing that he once would have thought impossible. All these served to remind him to always be brave and to remember what he had done in the past if ever he questioned his courage.

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Next, he was in the Stock Pot Inn of Clocktown. He had just reunited Anju and Kafei and watched them exchange their ceremonial masks. Even though the moon was just about to fall, even though the land shook to announce its impending destruction, Anju and Kafei were oblivious. They only stared into each other's eyes and smiled. Seeing this, Link felt his courage soar. It was people like them whom he was fighting for. He would make the world safe for everyone so they could be happy. He knew what had to be done; he had to face the Skull Kid and Majora's Mask. Seeing the couple together somehow made him happy as well, and he believed in himself and his cause. He may not have been the adult Hero of Time any more, but by goddess, he was going to save Termina.

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After defeating Majora, Link remained in Clocktown for an extra week to rest and practice with the sword master before he returned to Hyrule. The image Saria was presently looking at showed the sensei and his disciple sparring. Despite the sword master's ridiculous boasts, (he had, for instance, claimed that he would save Termina from the falling moon by cutting it in half) he was very skilled, and it was a long time before Link managed to pull a victory. When he did, the sword master was amazed. "Good job, Link. You are by far the most skilled swordsman I have ever had the pleasure of fighting. Coming to my school, you already knew most of what I tried to teach you, which is extremely rare for one who has taught himself how to fight. Though you appear to be a mere child, I can tell you've been through much strife. You are an adult in my eyes." Link swelled with pride and gratitude.

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That was the last thought on the left side of his mind. Saria backed up from the left side until she was in the center again. Then she glanced at the right side where his bad thoughts were collected. Saria mentally prepared for the worst when she saw that they were much more numerous and detailed than the good ones.

She zoomed in on the first one and watched a scene unfold.

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Nine-year-old Link was standing in Hyrule Field, and in front of him was none other than Ganondorf. "Tell me where the princess is, boy!" He shouted. Link knew that the princess had to be protected at all costs, so he steeled his courage, drew his sword and shield, and assumed battle stance. Seeing this puny boy challenge him, Ganondorf let out a laugh, that evil powerful laugh that makes one feel just like a helpless child. "I like your style, kid! You've got guts, but you're still nowhere near my level!" And with that, he shot a dark energy blast straight at Link, whose body was overcome by pain beyond anything he thought possible. He collapsed, the dark energy torturing every nerve he had. Saria could feel his pain, and she watched him twist and scream on the ground in agony.

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Just before the pain she felt from his memory became unbearable, the image was replaced. She was now looking through the eyes of five-year-old Link. He was alone in one of the Kokiri houses with Mido, twice his size, towering over him. Mido, for some unknown reason, was furious; he forced Link to back into a corner and, to the Forest Sage's astonishment, proceeded to hit him over and over. Link, being too little to defend himself or run away and too afraid to cry for help, could do nothing but try to endure. A blow to the side of the head, a punch in the face, a knee to the stomach, a kick to the side…as Mido did his work, he occasionally said something like, "take that!" or "I'll show you!"

Link was scared and frustrated. All he could think was, 'Why is he doing this to me? What did I do to him? Does it have something to do with Saria? Ow! I…I can't take much more of this…' After Mido had finished, Link was no longer able to stand. He sunk down to the floor, wiping his bloody nose. Mido, still fuming with rage, lifted him off the ground by his shirt, forced Link to look into his wild eyes, and spoke softly, but with the same fiery intensity.

"If you EVER tell ANYONE about this, I am going to kill you. Do you understand me?" He nodded dumbly. "Good." Mido dropped him and let him fall to the floor with a satisfying_ thud_. His anger had transformed into his usual arrogance. "I suggest you hurry home and get yourself cleaned up before anyone sees you, Mr. No-Fairy. Got that?" Link was left with no other option than to obey. "Good." Mido smirked and left the building, and Link just sat there trying not to cry and thinking of what lie he would use to explain his bruises to the others when they saw.

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Saria watched the whole event in silent horror. Link had never told her anything about this. Mido had been mean in the past, but this…this was beyond anything she had ever imagined him doing. She was going to beat this story out of him the next time she saw him. Before she could think much more on that, however, the next memory presented itself. Link had just been sent back in time by Zelda and was at Lon Lon Ranch. He was furious, for Malon and everyone else he had interacted with in the alternate future didn't remember him. He thought to himself, 'No…Malon…you said you'd never forget me. Why did this have to happen?' He cursed Ganondorf for taking his life from him. He made up his mind: he was going to find Navi. She was the only one who understood what he had been through. He was going to find her, even if he had to leave Hyrule to do it.

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Another thought. He was in the Water Temple fighting Dark Link. They were both angry, desperate to see the other die, hating each other for who they were, matching each other blow for blow, Dark Link taunting him and egging him on the whole time. Their battle was going nowhere. Link had tried everything he could think of, and nothing was working. 'If I can't even beat this one person, Hyrule is doomed!' He was experiencing total hopelessness and hatred.

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The sixteen-year-old hero was sprinting across Hyrule Field, and Navi was having trouble keeping up. "Slow down! I'm not as fast as you are! Are you listening to me?"

Link didn't even hear her. All he knew was that Saria was in trouble. She had just spoken to him through their ocarinas and told him she was trapped in the Forest Temple with evil spirits and needed his help. 'I'm coming, Saria! I'm running as fast as I can!' He was terrified beyond rational thought at the idea that she might be hurt or worse. 'If anything happens to her…I…I…' a tear fell from him as he ran against the wind with a speed that spoke of the urgency of his situation.

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Another thought. Link had just been awakened by Rauru in the alternate timeline. He was now a child trapped in an adult's body, and this was not a comforting revelation. Link stared at his large hands, experimented with his new deep voice, and tried to maneuver his grown body, but he was awkward from never having used any of them before. For the first time in his life, he felt a total lack of control. He felt as though the goddesses had denied him any say in this time and that they, not he himself, would be the ones that would have to guide his body. He walked clumsily out of the Temple of Time and met the horror of the new world. He saw Castle Town in ruins, dead things walking everywhere, Death Mountain on fire, and the once beautiful Hyrule Castle floating in the air surrounded by a dark aura.

Link sunk to the ground. 'What have I done? Ganondorf has taken over, and it's all because of me! If I had just used some common sense and made sure no one was following me before I opened the way to the Door of Time, he wouldn't have gotten the Triforce, but instead I helped him take over the world! I did his job for him! Zelda's probably dead now, and Castle Town's destroyed. Who knows how the other parts of Hyrule are faring? How am I going to fix this? This body, this mind, they are not mine. This brain…this _older_ brain…it doesn't think the way mine does. Somehow it knows of things I didn't know as a child: bad, perverted, grown-up things. I know them, and yet just a few minutes ago (though I guess it was seven years ago from anyone else's point of view) I didn't. This new brain is also apparently smarter than mine is; I have not yet attempted to read or write since Rauru awakened me, but somehow I know that this brain can do those things more effectively than my old one can, and it even knows more words. This is too confusing; I have become a different person. Why?' "Aaaarrgh!" He yelled as loud as he could into the sky and swung the Master Sword with all his might into the outer wall of the temple. He breathed heavily through his teeth. 'No matter what it takes, I will fix all this. I will kill Ganondorf, I will redeem myself, and I will return to Hyrule the freedom which _I_ took away from it. And if I ever find the princess, I will tell her I'm sorry. If the royal family is ever put back into power, I will take whatever punishment they see fitting for me. I deserve to die…'

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Another thought. Link had never told Saria anything specific about his adventures in Termina, but she knew that was where he was in this particular vision because she could see his thoughts. He was in Ikana Canyon and had just lifted the curse from a man who had been transformed into a gibdos. His daughter, a little girl by the name of Pamela, quickly led Link out of the room as her father was gathering his senses so that she could talk to Link in private. She thanked him, but begged him to please leave and not let her father know what he had done. Link was taken back. Why was she forbidding him to meet her father? She explained that if her father learned what had happened to him, he would only be encouraged to continue the research which had caused his predicament in the first place. Link deeply resented this kind of treatment, but he had grown so accustomed to it that he no longer challenged it. He left their house knowing that yet another of his good deeds would not be remembered.

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One more still. The Skull Kid was transforming Link into a Deku Scrub.

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Yet another. Link watched a Zora named Mikau die for no reason other than that he had tried to recover his lover's children from violent Gerudo pirates.

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Next, Saria watched as the events from Link's second journal entry took place.

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Link was walking through the shadow temple, which, with its evil spirits, was basically a Hell in Hyrule and would probably frighten anyone other than Link or the Shadow Sage herself into running away. The voices of condemned souls whispered threats into his ears, and everywhere he turned, he narrowly avoided having his head chopped off by unseen specters…

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The next memory made Saria stop breathing for a moment. It was the scene from her dream. Three-year-old Link was in Saria's house, and Saria was crying in front of him. Link didn't know what to do. She seemed so sad. It was the exact opposite of the happy, playful feelings she usually brought with her. He had never seen her like this before. She could hear his infant thoughts: 'Why is Sa…ria so sad?' A wave of insight hit him. 'I been bad. My…fault.' He waddled over to hug her, but he wasn't even as tall as her belt. He hugged her as best he could anyway. "Don't cry, Sa…ria. I sorry. I won't be bad anymore. Please don't cry." He hated to see her in this state. 'From now on, I not be bad anymore. I won't make Sa…ria sad. I be good.' Searching related thoughts, Saria found that he still remembered this oath and had been holding true to it ever since that day.

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Link was fighting Majora. He had exhausted nearly all of his strength, and it appeared that the evil one, who was laughing triumphantly, would win this battle. Link cursed his luck as he realized that as a child, he could not hope to win. If he were still an adult, still the "Hero of Time," things might have been different, but that possibility didn't exist any more. He searched his brain frantically, trying to figure a strategy or at least a way to buy some more time before the moon fell. It was then that he noticed a voice in his head, a voice that he knew was evil. It came from the Fierce Deity Mask he had acquired. The mask reasoned with him in a sinister voice. 'I can help you out, kid. I can save your friends. All you have to do is wear my mask and set me free.'

Link mentally cried back, 'No! I will not let you out! I'll become a puppet just like the Skull Kid, and you'll do terrible things through me! You were sealed in the mask for a reason; you're as bad as Majora!'

The mask laughed, and for a split second it sounded strangely like Ganondorf. 'You don't have a choice in the matter. Either wear my mask, or you and this world will be destroyed by Majora. You won't have to wear it for long, just until I destroy him; after all, he is my sworn enemy.'

It was then that Majora sent a shockwave in his direction; in the moment's time before it would hit, Link had to make a decision. He did not think he would survive the blast as he was. He ultimately decided against his better judgment that he had to wear the mask. When he put it on, he felt a surge of power: the power of a god. Not even a minute later, Majora had been defeated. The spirit within the mask communicated with Link's mind. 'Majora was always a wimp. It was embarrassing to have to keep him around.' An evil, sadistic laugh followed. 'I'm glad _I_ got to finish him off. Tell me, kid: how does it feel? My incredible power flowing through your veins: it must be euphoric. My strength is yours to command as long as you wear that mask. Yours to do with as you please. I can see your thoughts. I know what you would use my abilities for and what you long for, and I can help you get it. You want to rid the world of evil, make it safe for all your friends, but you lack the power to do so. I can give you that power. All the world's villains will fall to you, and you will finally receive the appreciation you deserve! People will remember you and what you did for them; you'll make a name for yourself outside of your time-traveling adventure that everyone has forgotten.'

Link communicated back with his own thoughts. 'But that name won't be Link; it will be Fierce Deity. What do you take me for? I may not have the Triforce of Wisdom, but I'm not stupid. If I leave this mask on for too long, you will poison my mind, and I will become a mere puppet to you like the Skull Kid to Majora. You will do this because it is the only way you can ever achieve any degree of freedom. It was _your_ spirit who was in control during the entire fight; I didn't know how to use your abilities. Maybe it's because I'm a mortal, or maybe it's because your power is so much more than I'm used to dealing with. I don't know. What I do know is that I couldn't execute your skills, so I had to rely on you. But no more; I thank you for helping me save Termina, but now I'm taking the mask off.'

'You will do no such thing, even if you want to. I can manipulate your dark side, the part of you that does not wish to give up your newfound power, the part of you that wants to use it to make Mido and everyone who ever abused you suffer, and the part of you that needs to find your lost fairy companion no matter the cost. You want my power. Just_ try_ and take it off.' Link lifted both his hands up to his face, but the spirit kept him from bringing them within an inch of the mask. Link gasped and tried harder, but he only managed to make his hands shake in place. 'Ha! Pathetic. You will be my new body, and I will use you to finally destroy the creations of the goddesses!'

Fortunately, there was one detail that the evil god failed to take into account, and that was that Link had conquered his dark side before and could do it again. Link thought about what would happen if he let this demon control his life. He had visions of his friends dying by his hands and of the world coming to an end. He tried once more to lift his arms. His dark side struggled to push the arms downward against the effort. Link realized that his left arm, his sword arm, didn't want to part with the ridiculous sword-handling skills that the new power brought, and his right arm, which while he was in normal form was used only to hold a shield, didn't want to give up the new sensation of wielding a sword. But Link knew that for the safety of all races, he had to get that mask off. Visions of friends dying and fearing him replayed in his mind over and over. And then, the Triforce mark on his hand exploded with gold light as he was slowly breaking the spirit's hold on him.

To say that the Fierce Deity's spirit was surprised would be an understatement. 'What?! No! What are you doing? Your hand…you…you're Farore's chosen one, aren't you?!'

Link replied calmly, but fiercely all the same. 'I don't need your powers. I have my own strength to rely on. I also have the strength of my friends. And even if both those things fail me…I will always have courage. I _will_ rid the world of evil. And that includes _you_.' He ripped the mask off his face and threw it to the ground. Then he took out his Gilded Sword and brought it down on the mask with all his might…only to find he had done zero damage.

'Ha! What will you do now, Hero? You cannot destroy me. Even if you were to bury me under Lake Hylia, someone would eventually find me and give in to the temptation to try to use my power. And when that happens, I will have my revenge on all living things!'

Link shook his head. 'You're wrong. There is one place I can hide you where no one will ever find you, and when I die, you'll be gone with me.'

'What do you mean?' The authority vanished from the god's voice.

'If I make you a part of me, you will pass away when I do, and your immortality will cease.'

'You have no way of doing that!'

'Don't be so sure.' The Triforce mark glowed even more. Link touched the mark to the mask, which was bathed in the golden light and slowly absorbed into Link's body. When the ritual was complete, the Triforce mark stopped glowing, Link fell over, exhausted from the effort, and the deity yelled in immortal fury.

'You will pay for this! You can't keep me inside your head for forever; my voice will haunt you for the rest of your life! Eventually I will get a hold of your dark side and escape!'

Link was having trouble breathing, but he could still think straight. 'As long as I remain pure of heart and remember why I'm keeping you in here, that will never happen.'

'Then I shall torture you from within.' Link got up and quietly retreated from the battle site. The dark spirit would be able to tempt him for the rest of his life, but Link knew the sacrifice had to be made. Searching related thoughts, Saria discovered that the Fierce Deity had not left him since that day.

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Link had just returned to Hyrule after his adventure in Termina and was visiting the princess. After greeting each other and sharing stories, she requested that he give back the Ocarina of Time, since it belonged to the royal family. After that, Zelda suddenly paled. The Triforce of Wisdom granted her many magical abilities, one of which was the ability to sense large sources of magical power. He asked her what was wrong.

"L-Link," she stuttered in fear, "th-there's something inside of you." He looked puzzled until he realized what she was talking about. He told her the story of the Fierce Deity and how it came to be trapped inside of him. The look of fear never left her face. "The spirit is so strong," she said. "Having something like that inside of you is a danger to everyone. Do you think you could put it back into mask form? I want to see if I can seal it away, the way we sealed Ganondorf." He obliged. He concentrated on pushing the Fierce Deity out of his head, and the mask materialized in front of him. Zelda called upon all the magic she could summon, but in the end, it did no good. The mask remained, and she was panting from the effort. "I cannot seal it. It is so powerful, many times more powerful than Ganon, even. I could not possibly seal that thing away, even with the help of the six sages. But we can't just leave the mask lying around. I'm afraid you'll have to absorb it again until we can find a way to deal with it." Disappointed, Link took the spirit back into his being. He was about to say goodbye and leave when he noticed that the look of fear still hadn't left her face. "Link," she said, suddenly not looking him in the eye, "I hate to ask this, but…I'm scared of that spirit, terrified to the point where I doubt I could ever function with it near me, and I was wondering if you…if you could not hang around me for a while until we find a way to deal with it."

Link's jaw dropped in shock. "Of course, princess," He replied emotionlessly. He ran away from her with tears in his eyes.

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Link had tried many times since then to talk to Zelda just to see if she would at least speak with him. In the next vision, he was sneaking around the castle so he could do this, and the spirit of the evil mask tempted him all the while. As he peeked around a corner, the Fierce Deity spoke to him. 'Don't you think it's a bit ridiculous having to hide yourself from the people you saved? The princess and her guards should be rewarding you, but instead they have orders to put you in jail if you are found within the royal walls.'

Link met this with tranquility. 'I don't blame the guards for that; they don't remember what I did for them, so there's no reason to expect reward. They're just following orders.'

'Why not just force your way into her room? It would surely be easy for a warrior like you.'

'I have vowed never to harm innocents. You've been a part of me long enough to know that by now.'

'You wouldn't have to hurt anyone. If you wear my mask, you'll become too powerful for their blades and arrows to affect you, and you can walk calmly and without fear straight to your destination.'

Link laughed inwardly. 'You know, for someone who's desperate to get out, you sure aren't doing a very good job tempting me. Besides, sneaking around is too much fun.'

'Well, then, perhaps I should let you know that I can restore everyone's memories.'

Link froze dead in his tracks. 'You can?'

'Yes. Having immense power allows me to manipulate the fabric of space and time. I can pull memories from the alternate future into the present.'

'…You lie.'

'You wound me, Link. Think about it. Wouldn't it be nice to have all your old friends back? Especially Malon.'

Link pondered this for a minute. 'What would I have to do?'

'All you have to do is wear the mask, and I'll take care of everything.' Link thought about it. He did not deny that he missed the old Malon dearly. He'd only have to wear it for a second, right? Then he'd just take it off like he did the first time. 'No!' he mentally shouted. 'You want me to think that I'll be able to take the mask off whenever I want, but if I allow myself to wear it just to fulfill my own desires, I'll add strength to my dark side and to you! I wouldn't be able to pull it off again!'

The god let out an evil laugh. 'Good job, kid. You're not as dumb as you look. The way you're always doing what others tell you doesn't speak highly of your intelligence.'

'I don't have to listen to this. You'll never make me give in.'

'Oh, really?' Link didn't like the mischievous way he said that. The next thing he heard was Malon's voice. 'Link?'

Link held his breath. 'Malon? Wait, you're not Malon! Quit messing with my head!' But the Fierce Deity continued to speak in her voice, picking out dialogue from Link's memories of her. 'You know you can always come back here, Link. You'll always be my friend. You needn't worry about being a burden; I'll never forget everything you've done for me. Now get some rest; you'll need it if you're going to try to sneak off tomorrow before I wake up like you always do. Just be careful and promise me that you'll visit again once you beat the Water Temple, okay?'

'Aaargh!' Link covered his ears with his hands in a vain attempt to block out the voice.

'Thank you so much for all you've done for me, Link. You brought my family back together, and I want you to know that I consider you a part of my family now.'

'Stop it!' He couldn't take it anymore. He ran out of the castle and back to his house, but the voice never stopped.

Malon was sobbing lightly. Her voice was quivering. 'Why do you always have to go out and get yourself hurt? You're not a knight. You should let those who are better equipped deal with Ganondorf. I don't want you throwing your life away. You don't have to fight him. You don't owe Hyrule anything when you've already given so much. Please, Link, I care about you…'

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What Saria saw next shook her to the core. Link had just freed her from Phantom Ganon, and they were standing in the Sacred Realm. Saria watched as the figure that was her thanked him and told him that it was destiny that they could not live in the same world. She mistook his speechless state for not needing to say anything more and sent him back to the Lost Woods. Once he was there, he yelled, "Saria, wait!" but it was too late. He pounded his head for not saying anything and wondered if he would ever see his best friend again. 'It's been seven years since she last saw me; maybe she's moved on and doesn't need or want my friendship anymore, but I still need hers.' He sat on the stump she always used to sit on and just stared into space.

"Link," Navi said, trying to soothe him, "Saria will always be…your friend." But Link wasn't sure if he believed that.

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Link was speaking with the Great Deku Sprout after finally leaving Saria's stump. The new Deku Tree explained to him that he was not a Kokiri, but a Hylian. Link's heart sank. He had spent a lot of time up to that point mulling over the fact that he had grown more than Kokiri were supposed to, but he had just assumed that the goddesses had allowed it to happen so he would fit the "Hero of Time" requirements. Now that he knew the truth, he almost regretted taking up this whole mad quest to begin with. 'So Mido was right. Everything he's ever said about me was true…I don't belong here.' He remembered Saria's last words: "It is destiny that you and I cannot live in the same world." 'Did she know all along? Did she pity me? Just how much else has been hidden from me my whole life?' He walked away from the conversation feeling empty inside. He had never had a family. Now he didn't even have the Kokiri.

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Six-year-old Link was sitting by himself at a table inside the house of the Know-it-all brothers. He was trying to learn how to read and write, and he was currently struggling with what the other Kokiri regarded as an easy book. "The…tree…is…star—star—starting…to…" He sighed and looked away from the book so he could vent his frustration for a moment and then go back to it. 'How do all the others make this look so easy? I've been doing this all day, and I'm still not getting any better. The Know-it-all brothers said that most Kokiri can read books like this before they're even four years old, so why am I having so much trouble?' He sighed again and went back to his reading. As he was trying to read a word he didn't recognize, Mido came strolling through the door and sat at the table opposite of him.

"Are you getting any better at that?"

Link was surprised; Mido actually seemed like he wasn't going to make fun of him. "No. Not yet."

"Do you ever wonder why, Link? Do you wonder why you're so much slower than everyone else? Because if you're interested, I can tell you why."

Link put his book down and stared at him in wonder. Was it possible that Mido was trying to give him advice or perhaps offer a solution to his problem? "Really? Why?" He asked eagerly, but when he saw Mido's countenance change to that resentful one he saved exclusively for the boy without a fairy, Link knew that the situation had been too good to be true.

"Think about it, Link. Kokiri are very different from the other races of the world. For the first nine years of their lives, Kokiri children grow at the same rate as a Hylian child would, but then the Kokiri suddenly stop growing. Their minds are a slightly different story; while it takes many years for a Hylian's mind to completely mature, the average Kokiri's mind is fully developed by the age of six and then doesn't develop any more. Granted, from what the Know-it-all brothers have told me about the outside world, a grown Kokiri's mind is not as powerful as a grown Hylian's, but the point is that for those first six years, the Kokiri mind matures much faster than the Hylian mind. Apparently, by the time a Kokiri is six, he has the intelligence of a twelve-year-old Hylian. Now, here in front of me I see a six-year-old boy struggling to read, and I say to myself, 'This guy is probably either a Hylian or a really, _really, stupid_ Kokiri.'" Link's blood was boiling, but he tried to ignore the insults and turned back to his book. Mido, however, snatched it away and forced the younger boy to pay attention. "You may fool the others, punk, but you don't fool me. You're an _outsider_. Someday I'm going to find a way to show the others who you really are and I'll make you leave the forest for good. But until then, I'm going to make your life a living hell. Do you understand? The forest spirits hate you, and any enemy of theirs is an enemy of mine. Someday everyone will know the truth, and when they do they will hate you as much as I do. Even Saria."

That was the last straw; now Link was _really_ mad. He tried to leave before his feelings got the best of him, but in a lightning-quick motion Mido got up and blocked the exit.

"When she finds out she's been taking care of a wretched Hylian, she'll never want to speak with you again. I'm giving you a choice, though. If you confess right now to everyone that you're not one of us and you leave, I bet the others will go easy on you. Shoot, they'll probably feel sorry for you. But the longer you keep this little secret of yours hidden, the more rough it's going to be for you when everyone finally does find out. So what's it going to be?"

Link's hatred had increased with every word of Mido's speech. 'Why won't he leave me alone? I'm a Kokiri just like he is! Why won't he believe me? But then again…what if he's right? No. I won't believe that.' Link motioned for Mido to let him pass, and Mido shook his head disapprovingly before stepping aside. But just as Link was going out the door, Mido stuck out his foot and tripped him, sending him falling flat on his face. Mido laughed and walked away triumphantly. "The choice is yours, squirt! But if you don't tell everyone, then you're not a retarded Kokiri _or_ a normal Hylian; you're a retarded Hylian!"

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Link was in the alternate future. While traveling through Hyrule field, he had been ambushed by a group of about thirty Lizalfos. Now their corpses lay littered around him, almost forming a barrier around him, and Link was crying. Saria didn't understand why at first until she saw what he was doing. He was covered from head to toe in the blood of his enemies, and he was trying desperately to wipe it off; but it was sticky, and he only succeeded in smearing it. He hated himself for what he had become: a killer. Though he had only killed them in self-defense, the blood was still on his hands, and it made him feel warm, dirty, and disgusting. He tried wiping it off on the grass, but the blood was already too dry to come off that easily. He screamed in anger at the sky. He dropped the Master Sword, his tool of death which was even more bloodied than he was, and cried for the loss of his innocence.

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He was ten years old. In order to keep the seal on Ganondorf strong, Link had been required to reawaken the sages and restore their memory of the alternate future. He had promised himself that once he had done that and searched for Navi, he would search Kakariko and Castle Town for any records of his Hylian parents. He had just spent the past two days doing just that, but he hadn't had any luck. He didn't really even have a starting point since he didn't know their names, so he resorted to asking the soldiers and town residents if they knew of anyone who had had a baby named Link and left town with him during the war ten years ago. Nobody seemed to know anything. Now he was sitting and leaning against a wall in an alley of Castle Town. It was raining hard, but he didn't care. A little girl and boy were splashing merrily in a puddle some twenty feet from him, and soon a woman emerged from a nearby door and told the two of them to come inside. "Yes, momma!" They answered happily. They followed her inside and shut the door, and Link was alone. He listened to the pouring rain and pretended that the raindrops were the voices of his parents talking to him, asking him how his day was, telling him they loved him, calling him "son." He half-smiled before hanging his head to cry. His family was gone, and nobody knew them or could tell him about them. He would never know them. He was alone.

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Link was about eight years old. He and Mido were alone again, this time outside. Mido shoved him, but he managed to keep from falling; he was no longer a helpless little boy. At least, not any more than the average Kokiri male was. "Hit me!" Mido cried, clenching his fists.

Link calmly shook his head. "No."

Mido laughed cruelly. "Then you are a coward. Are you afraid I'll kick your butt? Because I'll be doing that regardless of whether or not you hit me, so you might as well at least _try_ to defend yourself." Mido scoffed; he was in his usual arrogant mood. He just _had_ to prove to Link who was the better Kokiri.

"You're the coward," Link hissed. "You've been picking on me since I was too little to protect myself. But guess what? Now we're the same size, and honestly, I don't think you can win a fight with me. So why don't you go bother someone else? I have no need to fight you. I'm not afraid of you anymore." Link smirked, turned his back to his "friend," and walked off, thinking he had just won that little confrontation, but Mido would have none of it. With a vicious snarl, he pulled a cheap move and tackled him from behind.

In a fair fight, Link probably would have won, but by the time he realized that he had been attacked, his enemy had him pinned to the ground on his stomach. Mido kept Link down by pressing a knee into his back and holding his arms behind his back in a painful position. "Not afraid of me, huh?" Mido snickered. "You will be." He pressed Link's head down into the earth. "How does it feel to eat mud, outsider?! Go ahead; scream for help!" Link face was hurting from being forced into the ground, and he had to gasp for air in between mouthfuls of mud, but he didn't scream; that would just be giving Mido what he wanted.

"I hate you," Link said without emotion. He could neither scream nor run nor fight.

"And I hate you," Mido returned as he slammed his fist into the back of Link's head.

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Saria was curious just how many of his bad memories involved Mido, but before she could search Link's mind again, the void and the images faded from her sight. She quickly found herself back in reality, back in the Great Fairy's Fountain.

"So, what did you think?"

Saria stared at the Great Fairy, wondering how she could be so calm in asking such a question. She didn't know what to say, so she spoke the first word that came to her. "Mido…" she whispered angrily. She shook her head, still unable to swallow the way he had beaten Link up. "Link never told me Mido had done anything like _that_. Why didn't he?"

"Mido has beaten him on many more occasions."

"What?!"

"Link kept quiet because he did not want to incur more beatings by telling on him. Now do you see why it is important that Link had a friend? Without anyone there to comfort him, he might have been even more psychologically damaged than he already is. Mido made Link extremely angry whenever he got the chance, and without you there, he might have decided early on that taking his anger out on other people would be the best way to deal with his problems."

Saria couldn't believe what she had seen inside his head, and she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But he's no better off now than he would've been in that situation. Instead of taking his anger out on other people, he takes it out on himself. I can't believe he keeps that many things from me…I wish he would talk to me about them. Maybe just talking about it would help him."

"He thinks it is selfish of him to feel sorry for himself, so he doesn't want to complain. He is trying to humble himself in hopes of dispelling these bad thoughts of his and becoming pure. Pure…like a child, like he was before he learned of his destiny, before he killed his first victim."

"That makes sense. He wants to be a child…that's why he always comes back to the forest."

"Yes. He'll never get what he wants, though."

"Why does it have to be that way?"

"All heroes need to be broken. It is making him stronger in the long run. In order for Link to grow up to be a righteous man, he had to have a painful childhood. It's regrettable, but it had to happen."

Saria couldn't believe what she was hearing. "That's terrible!" She sat down by her friend and stroked the parts of his hand that weren't covered by leather glove. "Link," she whispered affectionately to him, "I wish there were something I could do to help you."

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**Dannondorf:** Okay, so I kind of cheated you all. Saria never actually found out how Link felt about her, did she? I'm so bad…please accept my apology, but it's simply too early in the story for her to find out Link's feelings. I promise, though, that the next chapter will have much more fluff.

I have mixed feelings about this chapter. I feel like everything there is necessary, but it's just so LONG. Ugh. Tell me what you think. I'll love you forever.

As usual, the next chapter will be up in about a week. Dannondorf out.


	8. Argument

Saria's Wish

By Dannondorf

"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

**Author's Notes:** Hello, all! No, I'm not dead. ;p I know I'm very late with my update, and I'm truly sorry, but I've been experiencing a bit of a personal crisis recently. I won't go into any details, but suffice it to say that it's been very difficult lately for me to get in any productive writing time.

Anyway, enough about that. Here's the next chapter of Saria's Wish. After I nearly killed you all with all the memories and flashbacks from chapter seven, I found myself in a quandary: remember the memory in the last chapter when Link and Saria were hugging after he gave her flowers? Well, originally I was going to expand upon that in this chapter, possibly by having Link dream about the events leading up to it, since he's unconscious while Saria is looking through his mind, but in the end I decided against it. While it would have added more fluff to the story, I figured I'd put you through enough torture already with chapter seven, so I cut the dream out to keep everything that happens in the present. I hope that keeps things from getting dull.

But enough of my rambling. On with the story!

**Shout-outs: **All right. Here it goes. I'm going to write a poem about **OyOfMidworld**, my beta-reader. Here it goes:

The day began anew,

The sun's colors swirled

This poem has nothing to do

With OyOfMidworld.

I'm sorry. I'm not a poet at all. That's the best I can do, I'm afraid. :(

**Mr. Dynasty:** You flatter me. I'm glad I've kept you entertained thus far, and I understand your situation. The lack of Link/Saria is the reason I decided to try my hand at it, and we _definitely_ need more of it on this website.

You're completely right about me just deadpanning in chapter seven. I only realized it after I read your review. And also, about overdoing Mido, don't worry: he's going to redeem himself in this chapter. Hopefully that will make him more believable as a character. And yes, I plan to write a little more LinkxSaria after this story is finished. It's all part of this master plan I have to start a story written by ffnet's best Zelda authors where each person writes a romantic oneshot. The plan is to create a collection of stellar and original oneshots featuring all Zelda pairings: Malink, ZeLink, SaLink, MidnaLink, MarinLink, you name it. Anyway, I'll worry about organizing that after I finish Saria's Wish.

**Leon-Itaru:** I usually don't write such dark material, but I really wanted to explore the Fierce Deity's character and explain just how hard Link has it. He is a hero, after all, and a hero's life is never easy.

**El Oni:** I'm definitely going to shed some light on the events after Majora's Mask in the next chapter. The Fierce Deity's role in the story isn't over by a longshot. He's simply too cool a character to ignore. And yes, I have done my research. Who says sitting on your butt playing video games is a waste of time? ;p

**Flames Chaos and Wolf:** Hopefully you'll come to forgive me in time. ;p

**Forest Girl Kaz:** There will be some more Link-torturing, but everything will turn out all right in the end. I can't stand unhappy endings for some reason.

**BlueJx23:** No, I didn't arrange the memories in chapter seven in any particular order. I figured that people's thoughts aren't all that organized, so why should Link's be?

Cliffhangers are evil! I try not to write them. And don't worry: I'll do my best to avoid the big-headedness.

**Summary:** Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?

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Chapter 8: "Argument"

"It appears he is finally coming to," the Great Fairy said as the hero began stirring. She and Saria looked over at him, and he slowly opened his eyes, groaning.

Link did not immediately remember where he was upon returning to a conscious state. As he lay on his back, his mind did not try to analyze the ceiling he was facing at first, for his warrior instincts told him that his first priority must be to stand up so he would be less vulnerable if there were enemies nearby: set up his defenses first, and _then_ take the time to look around.

He quickly rolled over onto his stomach and used his arms to push himself from a push-up position to a standing one. When he got to his feet, he looked around wildly as if expecting a horde of monsters to attack him from every direction, but all he saw were Saria and the Great Fairy.

Still not registering where he was or what he had been doing but feeling safe now that he knew friends were with him, he was about to ask them what was going on when suddenly a headache made him regret moving so fast. He clutched his forehead and closed his eyes, hissing slightly in pain.

Saria was instantly worried and at his side. "Link! Are you okay?"

"Ow…" he moaned quietly. "Where…" And then it all came back. His mission in the Lost Woods. The Great Fairy's Fountain. Dark Link. His eyes shot open as his memory returned. Then he seemed to panic as he frantically searched his pouch for something, but when he pulled out a peculiar-looking arrow, he calmed down and sighed in relief.

Saria was confused. "What is that?"

Link smiled, and Saria smiled in response, for his smile always seemed to cheer her up. "I think it's what we came for." He handed it to Saria for her to see. "I don't know what it is, but Dark Link was protecting it from me."

"It is a Silver Arrow, the only one in existence." The mortals turned their attention to the floating woman. "It was made long ago by a prophet who wanted to help Hyrule against the future threat he knew that Ganondorf would pose. He spent seven years crafting it. In concept, it is similar to the light arrow in that it weakens evil, but it is much more powerful. Many years ago, the prophet stumbled upon my secret fountain and begged me to watch over the arrow and only give it to the one who has vanquished his dark side. I knew his heart and intentions were pure, so I accepted. Later, Dark Link accidentally found this place after he fled from your first fight with him, and he rested here, recovering from the heavy damage you had dealt him. He found the arrow and sensed its power. He knew it was meant to be used against his master, Ganondorf, but he could not destroy it or even touch it because of its resilience to evil. Thus he did the only thing he could do; he waited, intending to prevent you from taking it when you finally arrived."

Link was interested in what the Great Fairy was saying, but there were other things on his mind, questions he needed answers to as soon as possible. "Great Fairy, before I fought him just now, he said that he would be alive as long as I was, and that I could never truly destroy him. Was he lying? Is there any way I can be rid of him?"

She shook her head. "You and he are doomed to fight each other for the rest of your lives. Even when you are both old and can barely wield a sword, he will be after you." Link's heart sank. "The only way to thwart him is to defeat Ganondorf. It is his magic that holds your dark incarnation together, and killing him will cut off the source of that magic."

"Then that's what I'll do." He placed the arrow in his quiver among his normal arrows, and his crestfallen face became cheerful. Saria admired his ability to take this news so calmly.

"Remember your strengths. You are pure of heart, just as the prophet said you would be. Discarding the evil within one's self is no simple feat."

"Thank you for everything you and your sisters have done; I'm sure you're aware that this isn't the first time I've needed a Great Fairy's healing powers this badly." Link turned to face Saria. "Are you ready?"

She nodded. "Let's go home." The two of them stepped into the circle of light that marked the exit. As the invisible magic lifted them back to the world above, they waved goodbye to the Great Fairy.

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Once they were above ground, Saria used her powers to warp her and Link to the Triforce mark in front of the Forest Temple, and the duo began the walk back to the village. Link was in high spirits: the quest had been successful, no one had gotten hurt, and he had retrieved what he needed to win his upcoming fight with Ganondorf.

Saria, on the other hand, was quite disturbed. In her mind's eye, she rewatched all of his bad memories that she had seen. She wasn't sure of what to do. Though he didn't act like it, she knew he needed to talk to someone about them, and she ultimately decided that she was going to be that someone. With that thought firmly planted in her mind, she began the awkward conversation. "Link, we need to talk."

He was shocked by the determination in her tone, but he didn't let on. "Sure. About what?"

'Oh, how to start this?' "Well…we're best friends, aren't we?"

"Of course."

"And you could tell me anything, right?"

"Right," he replied without a second thought.

'Here it goes…' "Well, then, why don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're always so secretive about your past. I wish you would just open up to me. I know you're keeping things from me."

"How would you—"

She cut him off. "While you were unconscious, the Great Fairy took me inside your head and showed me some of your thoughts."

Flabbergasted, Link stopped walking. "What?! Why did she do that? What did you see?" He was clearly upset.

"I saw lots of things." She grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes with profound sorrow. "I saw what Mido did to you, and I want you to know that I'm sorry. I should have been there to help you, but I wasn't."

Link's angry features softened, and he calmed down when he saw in her eyes how sad she was. "Saria…none of that was your fault. You don't have to be sorry. You should never have had to see that."

"But I _want_ to see. So many things have been bothering you. Please tell me about them. Do you—" she looked frightened, "really have a demon inside you?"

Link looked down at the ground, as if he had done something he should be ashamed of. "Yes. He's been with me for quite some time now."

"Does he ever give you peace?"

"The Triforce of Courage lets me keep his voice out of my head most of the time, but there are lengthy periods when I'm forced to listen to him. Right now he's laughing with delight at actually being mentioned in a conversation, and h-he—" Link was having trouble finishing, "he says that as a reward for you, your death will not be as painful as everyone else's will be when he breaks free." There was a moment of shock, and then Saria hugged him to comfort him. He held on tight. "I won't let him out of my head. I won't let him hurt you or anyone else. Please don't be mad at me. I'm sorry I never told you about it; I just didn't want you to be as scared about it as I am." He was almost in tears.

"I know. It's okay. Tell me more. Have you found out anything about your parents?"

"No. No names, no address, no anything. It's like they never were a part of this world."

"Is that how you feel? Do you feel like you're not a part of this world? That you don't belong?"

"Yes."

"Well, you're an important part of _my_ world. I want you to remember that."

"O-okay."

"I mean it. I don't ever want you to feel like you have no one to turn to. I'll always be there for you."

"Thank you."

"How many times has Mido beaten you?"

"I don't remember. The beatings stopped after I grew bigger than him, so it's been a while."

Saria clenched her fists. "I'm going to bash his skull in when I get back."

Link's reply was surprisingly serene. "Please don't mention it to him."

Saria stared at him oddly. "Why not?"

"I just want to forget about it. More violence isn't going to help."

Her anger toward the Kokiri leader melted. Link had that effect on many people. "You're right. I'll never understand how you can put up with such things. I suppose you've had plenty of practice keeping things hidden, but I want you to tell me when something's bothering you from now on, okay?"

"All right."

"Tell me more about the Fierce Deity."

"When I was in Termina, I was forced to use his power. It was the only way to beat Majora. But by using his power, I weakened his mask prison, so the only way to guarantee that he would never be free was to trap him in my head. I have his power inside me now, but I can't use it or else he could break free. He blends his thoughts with mine. He projects his thoughts into my brain, thoughts that he specifically designs to sound like mine to confuse me. Oftentimes I can't differentiate between his thoughts and mine, and it gets more and more difficult with time. These thoughts sound like mine but often include little evil twists. He plays tricks on me and takes on the voices of you and everyone else I know. He tells me that the longer I keep him waiting the more he will make you and everyone else suffer when he breaks free. He is trying to weaken my good side and strengthen my bad one until I can no longer resist the urge to call upon his incredible power. And then he will be able to separate from my body and conquer the world."

"Link, I'm sorry it had to work out this way. We'll figure a way out of this, I swear it."

A short period of silence fell on them. Both were busy thinking about what had just happened. Link had just opened up _a lot_, and Saria was happy with the results. Wanting more, she decided to keep going: she resumed trying to get him to divulge the details of his past. He would give no more, though; he seemed emotionally exhausted. So she tried again. He refused. Again. He refused. And again. Once more, he would not talk.

With each failed attempt, she grew more frustrated. Why wouldn't he talk to her? Things had been going so well. Why did they stop?

He was getting angry as well. He had just spilled a lot in the past few minutes, and the fact that she was still nagging him to tell her more annoyed him more than a little. He wasn't ready to tell her his life story yet.

Neither of them knew when they had started walking again, but presently they were in front of her house in the Kokiri's village. A light rain had started. "Link, please tell me more! You'll feel better once you talk to someone about whatever's bothering you!"

"I've told you a lot already. I'm not prepared to tell you any more yet." He spoke in an even tone, but it was clear that his anger was rising. "Besides, you've already invaded my privacy enough to keep you busy for a while. Why did you think you could just look inside my head like that? Those are my private thoughts. And why have you been reading my journal?"

Saria was speechless for a second. Had he caught her the last time she tried to see what was inside? She recovered quickly. "I've been reading it because you won't tell me anything on your own!" At that moment, something between them snapped. It started raining harder. "Why don't you open up a little, huh?" She shouted. "Why are you always so serious? It's stupid!"

"You really want to know?" He yelled back at her. "It's because if I'm not serious, _he_ has a better chance of escaping my body! Did you know that?"

"No, I didn't, because you kept this whole thing a secret from me for nine years!"

"No one needed to know about this! It's my problem, and I'll deal with it! I've already endured it for nine years, haven't I? Besides, if I had told you, you would have just abandoned me like Zelda did!"

"_You're_ lecturing _me_ about abandonment? You're the one who never comes back to the forest! You're the one who abandoned me! Let me ask you something: why did you come back here?!"

"W-what?!" Some of his anger was replaced by shock and confusion. He didn't understand what she was asking.

"Why did you come back to the forest after you beat Ganon? You don't belong!"

His anger left him completely in the face of such a question. His mind raced to find an answer. "I...I..."

"Link, you can't continue to stay here! You're not a Kokiri! You've been living a lie for the past nine years! You belong with people of your own kind!"

Despite the way she had caught him off guard, he was able to reply calmly, for this was a subject he'd thought a great deal about. "No. I don't. Believe me, I've tried, but—"

"Just go away!"

Link didn't know what was going on. Why was she saying this to him? "You..." his eyes lost their usual stoicism, giving him a heartbroken appearance, "...want me to leave?"

"Yes! The forest spirits are upset whenever you are around! Outsiders simply should not be in the forest! And on top of that, the forest spirits are terrified of the demon inside you! Go away!" She pointed in the direction of Hyrule Field.

Link didn't say a word. As he stood before her in shock, silent tears were coming down his face, and he was possessed by a very real rage. He somehow kept calm enough to reply quietly, "Okay. I'll go. When you raised me for the first nine years of my life, you always had to watch me to make sure I wasn't causing mischief. I'm sorry for being bad and causing trouble for you." He turned around and walked in the rain without saying goodbye. At a safe distance, he called out to her, "I'll miss you, Saria…" Then he kept going.

After he was gone, she stormed into her house and sat down, fuming silently in her chair. It wasn't until ten minutes had gone by that she calmed down enough to ponder the events that had taken place from an unbiased perspective. She realized that she'd said things she didn't mean and had hurt his feelings badly. Granted, he hadn't been helping the situation with his anger, but she was as much at fault as he was. She could have kicked herself for letting the impatient child inside her take control during that argument. She had let all the frustration and sadness she had been feeling for the past week about him not visiting often come out in the worst way possible. It was regrettable, but arguments happened. Hopefully they'd both feel better after a good night's sleep.

This idea gave her hope, but then her mind processed the terrible truth: she had told him to go away. He had done so. She had just made his dream, his _nightmare_ that he wrote about in his journal, come true. The only thing he was afraid of had appeared to haunt him, and it was her fault. She bolted up from her chair. 'What have I done?' She ran outside and searched the village from top to bottom, screaming desperately for him, but he was nowhere to be found. She sat on a log and cried. Her sobs were muted by the harsh rain pounding down and the occasional thunder. 'I told him to leave and he did. He did because I'm the only person he listens to. Now I'll never see him again. Why was I so stupid?' In a final attempt to convince herself that maybe not all was lost, she went to his house. Perhaps he would be there; maybe he hadn't left yet and she still had a chance to apologize and beg him to stay. But when she got there, it was unoccupied. She glanced in the middle of the floor where he usually kept his bow and other equipment, but it was gone. She turned away from it and then looked at the spot again, hoping her eyes were deceiving her, but still there was nothing.

It was official: he was gone. As the Forest Sage, she could sense all spirits within her realm, but she could not detect Link in the area anymore. All that remained were some spare tunics. In his rage, he had torn them to shreds and thrown them in the corner before leaving. The bed sheets and some books remained behind, but everything he would need to make a very long trip had been taken. 'Wait…the books are still here! I wonder if…' She surveyed the room, and sure enough, his journal had been thrown harshly into the pile of discarded shredded clothing. Not knowing why she did so, she opened it and started reading. There was a new entry. He had most likely written it during their journey to the Great Fairy's Fountain.

_Entry Six_

_I am in love with Saria. I once asked a passerby in Castle Town what he thought about an adult loving a child, and apparently Hylians have a word for that. It's a word they regard with great disgust: pedophilia. Is it wrong that I love her? Hylian logic seems to dictate so, and destiny seems to have tried to forbid it. (I'll never forget when I defeated Phantom Ganon and saw Saria standing as a child before my grown-up body. She told me it was destiny that we could not live in the same world.)_

_Does what I feel make me a bad person? Is this the bad deed that will be responsible for bringing about the events of that terrible dream I had? I want to be good, but I love her. Maybe if she loves me, too, this can all work out. If not, I think I'll have to leave this forest forever. She is the only reason (other than hopelessly asking if anyone has seen a fairy that has been gone for nine years) that I ever stay in this forest. As I've grown, I've become aware of how cramped it is and how much I don't belong, and the others have also noticed. If I accidentally ruin my friendship with her by telling her that I love her and she never wants to speak to me again, I will have to find a new home. If this happens, I will see if I can stay with Dampe. He will be the only one left in the world I can call family. (Sorry, Darunia. "Sworn brother" is just a title.)_

By the time she got to the last sentence, she thoroughly hated herself for yelling at him. 'Not only did I tell him to leave, I'm _still_ reading his damn journal and invading his privacy.'

Her mind went rigid immediately when she caught herself swearing. Even though she hadn't said it out loud, she gasped and covered her mouth; she was surprised at herself. The Kokiri never swore, since they were just kids, so Saria saw this as a sign that her young mind was finally giving in to the separate adult mind she possessed as a sage. She was growing up. Not physically, but mentally. What did that mean? Ever since her reawakening as a sage, these two separate ways of thinking had been fighting for control inside her. Why was the balance only now starting to shift?

Had the circumstances been different, she would have paused to consider these questions, but she was too engrossed in her current situation. 'I guess he left his journal here because he wants to leave any memories of me behind.' The last few words were almost too painful for her to think. 'What am I going to do? If I just wait here for him, he may never come back, but I can't leave! Every Kokiri who ever left the forest has died.' She resigned herself to collapsing on his bed and crying. She did this for almost an hour.

Eventually someone climbed the ladder into Link's house. Saria hadn't heard him come in because of the pouring rain, so she was surprised when she heard someone clear his throat. "Mido?" She tried to stop her crying, but she couldn't.

He was not wearing the cocky smile he usually showed, nor the angry scowl. Instead, he looked like he was attending a funeral. "Mm-hm. Listen, Saria—"

He was cut off harshly. "Don't try to cheer me up. You don't even know why I'm crying. Just go away."

She hadn't expected what she heard next. "I'm not here to cheer you up. And I do know what happened."

"How could you—"

"I was walking by your house when you and Link had your shouting match. I saw him leave the forest, and I saw you run here. I waited for you to come out, but you never did, so I came up here instead."

"What are you doing here?" Remembering how he had beaten Link as a child, she narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you want? You should leave; I'm already mad enough at you as it is."

He was taken aback. How had he already managed to screw up? "For what?"

"For beating up Link when he was little and forcing him to keep quiet about it."

Mido was stunned. He almost backed away from the glare she was giving him, but he brushed it off as best he could. "I don't know how you found out about that, but believe it or not, I'm here to help him out."

"Liar. You've never done anything except make fun of him and hurt him. I should—"

His usual scowl found its way onto his face. "What you should do is shut up for a moment and listen to what I have to say."

Saria crossed her arms, turned away from him, and faced the wall, letting him know he would have no audience with her. He sighed. "Just listen. You don't have to say anything, but please listen. You probably think I came up here to tell you that he's a jerk. I bet you're expecting me to say that you shouldn't waste your time crying over anything that happened between you and him. Well you're wrong. I think you should go find him."

She turned around and gawked at him. "You want me to leave the forest? That's insane! I'll die!"

"Maybe. But if you don't leave and he doesn't come back, you'll never see him again. You have too, though, because…because…" he seemed to be having a difficult time getting the next part out, "…you two belong together."

"What are you talking about?"

He ignored the question. "I've known it for a while now; I just didn't want to admit it because I always had a crush on you. But now I am, and I think you should too. I don't know if anyone's ever told you this, but ever since nine years ago…ever since Link left the forest for the first time…you've been different. You got smarter or wiser or something, and it's like you're not one of us anymore. Link changed too. When he came back, he was quiet whenever anyone tried to talk to him. I don't know what happened to change you two, but neither of you acts the same when the other isn't around. But when you come together, you seem so much happier. You have more fun. You both act like you did before he left the forest: you're less worried and more playful, and he's more friendly. Your playful side makes him more social, and he has a way of always cheering you up. As much as I hate to admit it, you're good for each other. Understand what I'm saying here: I may be a jerk, but I'm still your friend. And if Link is what you need to be happy, you should go out and find him. And maybe…" He looked down at the floor, "when you bring him back, I can start being his friend too."

Saria looked at him with the most puzzled expression ever, but gradually she formed a huge smile, even as the tears were still on her face. "Thank you," she said.

"No problem. Just find Link." Nodding, she ran from the house and practically jumped down the ladder before he could get another word out. This left Mido to sit alone, brooding over the consequences of his actions. 'If she tries to leave the forest and dies, I'll never forgive him.'

It didn't matter that it was still pouring outside. She had to find her friend, even if it meant leaving the forest and dieing, as all Kokiri did who were foolish enough to go beyond the forest's boundaries. She did not care what might happen to her. She had to see Link again.

She ran in the direction she had pointed him away to. She was halfway across the bridge leading out of the forest, halfway to finally seeing what would happen to her if she went to Hyrule, when a figure appeared coming from Hyrule field.

Saria stopped dead in her tracks. For the shortest of moments, she allowed herself to fancy it was Link. A smile lit across her face, but then faded as she recognized that this person was covering his whole body, even his face, in a black cloak. As he slowly walked toward her, she could sense a tremendous magical aura emanating from him. That was when she noticed that even though he was walking in the rain, his cloak was completely dry.

She started shivering, both because she was soaked and because she was wrapped in fear. She took a step back, and the figure kept his crawling pace, apparently either not noticing or not acknowledging her presence. When he was but a few feet away, she yelled for him to stop where he was, and she formed a green energy orb in each of her hands, ready to use her sage powers to fight this person should it come to that.

The figure shook slightly and obeyed her, obviously intimidated by the power in her hands. She was ready to fling some questions at it, but he (as the voice revealed him to be a male) spoke first. "Ah, so _you_ are the Forest Sage!" Despite how frightening it was to her that this stranger was aware of something that only the Triforce bearers and the Sages were aware of, his voice was jolly, not threatening. She took comfort in the realization that he was not Ganondorf, but she kept the green orbs at her sides just in case.

He pulled his hood down to reveal a pale hunch-backed old man. "That would make you Saria, Link's friend, am I right? I am Dampe, his magic instructor. Would you happen to know where he is right now? I recently sent him on a quest through the Lost Woods."

"I know. I went with him. His journey is finished; we found a 'Silver Arrow' and met one of the Great Fairies. But I'm afraid I don't know where he is now. I…I told him to go away…" She began crying anew. He awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder, but said nothing; Dampe was not used to dealing with people, much less comforting them.

"I want him to come back so I can tell him I'm sorry. What do you need to see him for?"

"My lady, I'm afraid I have some very bad news. Yesterday while searching through some historical documents, I discovered that Ganondorf is returning."

"He already knows that."

"Yes, but what he doesn't know is that the Gerudo King is coming back within the week."

Saria was overcome by fear. "No! Why can't he leave us alone? What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry. I will find Link and make sure he is ready. He is a very devout student; he has improved greatly in his magical studies over the past few years, and if he has taken his other training as seriously as his magic, then I am confident he has what it takes to win. All he needs is a heads-up, and he'll be fine."

"But what if we can't find him in time?"

"If I don't find him before Ganondorf shows up, I don't think it will be any big deal. Link will just have to manage. It was nice meeting you, despite the circumstances. Good-bye."

He turned toward Hyrule Field and was ready to leave her. "Wait! Let me go with you! I know Kokiri die if they leave, but I don't care! I have to see Link again!"

"You don't have to leave and risk dying just so you can see him again. After I find him, I'll tell him to come back here and see you."

"But Ganondorf might come back before then, and he might kill Link! If that happens, I'll never see him again! Please let me come with you!"

Dampe seemed to be struggling with his decision. 'Link will kill me if he finds out Saria died because I allowed her to leave, but she looks so desperate. What should I do?' He sighed in resignation. 'Forgive me, Link.' "…Okay. But let me try something first: I'm not sure it will help, but I'm going to cast a protective spell on you. It's kind of like Nayru's love, but a lot weaker. Hopefully it will protect you from whatever kills Kokiri when they leave." He pointed his arms to her, and a green light left his hands and entered her body, where it disappeared. This left the old man out of breath and clutching his chest. "It will be tiring, but as long as I concentrate, I should be able to keep the spell up for a few days.

"Oh, thank you so much! Let's go!"

He wheezed. "Hold on a second. I'm," he panted, "not as youthful as you." They waited until he caught his breath before venturing into Hyrule Field. To their incredible relief, Saria didn't immediately die. "Do you have any idea where he might be going?"

"Well," she said sheepishly, "his journal said something about possibly going to live with you."

He raised a brow. "You read his journal?"

She laughed nervously. "Heh heh…yeah."

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**Dannondorf:** Come on. Admit it. You thought the cloaked figure was Ganondorf, didn't you? ;p

The story's almost done! Can you believe it? Right now I only plan to write two or three more chapters. Hang with me here!

Remember, I'm trying to make this the best Link/Saria story ever, so if you find a mistake or a part that could have been done better, please let me know. Like I said, I'm experiencing a bit of a personal crisis right now, so I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best to have the next chapter up within the week. Dannondorf out.


	9. Evil Within, Evil Without

Saria's Wish

By Dannondorf

"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

**Author's Notes:** Okay, okay, so I'm late…again. I'm really sorry. I have no excuse. :( Hopefully, you'll be able to look past that and enjoy the chapter anyway.

**Shout-outs: **OyOfMidworld. OyOfMidworld. OyOfMidworld. OyOfMidworld. OyOfMidworld. OyOfMidworld. OyOfMidworld. OyOfMidworld. OyOfMidworld. OyOfMidworld. All right, I'll stop. :p

**methianeth:** Whoa…I don't think _anyone's_ ever called my story a masterpiece before…thank you. Hopefully your eyes are still functioning well enough for you to take a gander at this next chapter.

**irishj: **Thank you for all the reviews! Yes, you're right about Saria being able to leave the forest as a sage, but I decided to fudge the facts a bit to make things more interesting. ;) Aw, the powers of an author…

**BigBang24:** I present to you the next chapter of Saria's Wish! It makes me very happy to know that there are people who look forward to my work, so thanks!

**Forest Girl Kaz:** Woo hoo! I evoked some emotion out of someone! D Don't worry: Saria will find Link. I can't bring myself to make this story end on a sad note; I HATE sad endings for some reason.

**Poupou-pidou: **Anonymous reviews have been enabled. And yeah, I know the role I picked for Dampe is strange. I just fancied a change, I suppose. :p I'm glad you enjoyed what I've written so far! I'll do my best to make sure you enjoy the rest as well.

**overlordofnobodies:** It's always good to meet a L/S fan. Here's the next chapter of Saria's Wish.

**Klon:** It really inflates my ego when people tell me that they love my story, and that is a dangerous thing. :p But thank you so much! I've been working really hard on it.

**Summary:** Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?

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Chapter 9: "Evil Within, Evil Without"

Link trudged through the rain and mud. Normally there were at least a few people traveling across Hyrule Field at this time of day, but presently none were out and about due to the precipitation. Link was alone.

He didn't care that he and all his equipment were getting soaked. He didn't care that progress was slow because of the slick terrain. He barely even noticed these impediments, for right now, all he could think about was what had just happened between him and Saria.

His hands were clenched into fists. Anger, despair, and frustration flowed through him and agitated his muscles, making them tense. He knew it would probably be best for him to sit still somewhere and calm down, but he could not. He was in too much of a hurry to leave the forest behind, to get away from Saria. Even though he knew that she could not follow him outside the forest since she was a Kokiri, he still wanted to put as much distance between them as possible.

His face was covered with tears and raindrops; he had not stopped crying since the argument. The words of his once-best friend ran through his head over and over again. _"Why did you come back here?! You're not a Kokiri. You don't belong! Just go away!"_

Conjuring up an image in his mind of how angry she had looked when she said these things, his anger vanished, leaving only sadness. What was he supposed to do now? Saria, his best friend, the entire reason he ever enjoyed being in the forest, didn't want to see him any more. She wanted rid of him.

How could he have been so stupid? He remembered the other day when he was writing his sixth journal entry. He had been so hopeful that perhaps Saria shared his feelings for her…or at the very least, would understand them and not think any less of him once he admitted them to her. But in just a few words, she had crushed his hope in a way he hadn't thought possible, and all without him even sharing his secret affection for her.

His best friend hated him.

And suddenly, his rage was back. He stopped crying briefly, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. 'This isn't healthy. I need to think about something else, anything as long as it isn't about Saria.' Opening his eyes and unsheathing his Gilded Sword, he turned to the first tree he could find and unleashed his fury upon it. He hacked away until he was out of breath and the tree was barely standing. He threw a horizontal sword swipe from the left. _"You've been living a lie for the past nine years!"_ A sword swipe from the right. _"You belong with people of your own kind!"_

At length he threw his blade into the ground and screamed; despite his efforts, he could not get the Kokiri's words out of his head. He wondered if he was going insane, for he was not merely remembering her words: he was actually hearing her voice inside his head. Were he in a calmer state, he would have been able to figure out the source of the words much more quickly, but as he was, it took him a good fifteen minutes to realize what was going on.

When he did, he stopped screaming. His eyes narrowed and his face hardened into the most furious expression he had ever made. He sent a mental message to the one inside his head. 'Now is not a good time,' he thought with as much ferocity as he could manage. 'Stop repeating Saria's words and leave me alone.'

A laugh registered in his mind, a deep, sinister laugh: the laugh of the Fierce Deity. 'My, my!' The god spoke with a devilish glee. 'Touchy, aren't we? I thought you'd be happy to hear the voice of your best friend. But then again, I guess she never really was your friend, was she?'

Link was in no mood for this. He lashed out with all his anger and hate. 'Shut up!'

Unfortunately, the deity was not to be thwarted so easily. 'You shouldn't speak to me so rudely, Link. After all, I'm all you have left.'

As terrible as that thought was, Link didn't know if he could effectively argue against it, so instead he lashed out again, screaming on the inside. 'Go away RIGHT NOW!'

The deity's reply was smug and composed, as always. 'Ouch. And to think, I was going to try to make you happy.'

Link laughed bitterly. Even if the Fierce Deity's voice had belonged to someone who was actually concerned about Link's well-being, Link wouldn't have cared. 'Right,' he thought sarcastically. 'And how were you planning to do that?'

'I just wanted to let you know that I can help you. I can make her love you.'

And just like that, Link's rage was gone again, exposing his naked misery. He hung his head and let the tears flow once more. He recalled how angry Saria had been with him earlier. 'Nothing…could ever make her love a wretch like me. And NO ONE,' he thought, his irate state returning, 'could ever love someone with a demon inside him.' Said demon cackled with delight. 'I swear, Fierce Deity, I will be rid of you some day.'

There was a pause. Link expected a smart remark, or maybe another laugh, but he wasn't prepared for what he heard next. 'You know what, kid? You're right.'

'… … Huh?'

'You _will_ be rid of me some day. Actually, you'll be rid of me _today_, because today is the day I finally break free!'

It was Link's turn to be smug and composed. 'Oh, please. You've been trying to break free for nine years. What makes you think you'll be able to do it today?'

'If you're so confident, then just try and stop me.'

Suddenly, Link felt the oh-so-familiar tug on his mind that meant the Fierce Deity was trying to escape. Link had dealt with this situation many times before and knew exactly how to handle it. The immortal was trying to gain power by manipulating Link's dark side, so Link had to combat his dark side within his own thoughts.

The Hylian closed his eyes and focused. He felt his evil desires, once dormant, bubbling forth, planting ideas into his head due to the Fierce Deity's influence. He did his best to force them back down.

In the past, this had been an easy process. All he had had to do was rationalize against each negative thought that popped up: telling himself that he was a good person, that the people who had hurt him in the past didn't deserve any of the sick "retributions" his mind was cooking up, that he had no right to exact "revenge" on anyone.

But now, he was having trouble. It didn't take him long to figure out why: he was in an emotionally distressed state, his anger and sorrow out of control, and thus his enemy was having an easy time influencing his dark desires. The Fierce Deity had picked the perfect opportunity to work his magic.

Link encountered his usual doubts and desires as he searched his brain: doubts of what he had been training for, doubts that he would ever be able to live in peace, the urge to beat Mido to a bloody pulp, a yearning to just stop everything he was doing and rest for a while…

He dispatched of the first doubt easily enough: he was training for Ganondorf's return, and though he was not entirely sure that the desert thief actually _would_ return, Dampe had good reason to believe he would, and that was enough to warrant Link's training. But the second doubt…Link found himself seriously questioning his life. Would he ever be able to rest and be happy? He used to think so. He used to believe that a day would come when he would finally rid Hyrule of any and all threats to itself and he would be able to kick back and relax. But now, after that fight with Saria…

He still believed that one day he would rid the world of evil. He truly did. But whether or not he would be happy after that…he wasn't sure. He knew that as long as Saria hated him, as long as the one he loved had no place in her heart for him, he would never truly be happy. Would she ever let him befriend her again?

His doubts grew and consumed him. Link panicked. He tried harder to shove them back down into the recesses of his mind as he had done for the past nine years, but his panic ruined his focus even more than his emotions already had.

The Fierce Deity laughed with delight. 'What's the matter? You're not putting up as much of a fight as you usually do.'

This comment drove Link into a frenzy. He was losing, and he knew he needed to draw focus from somewhere. He recalled all the times in the past when he had been fighting a losing battle. He had won each of those battles through sheer strength of will, through courage, his defining attribute. As the demon laughed and tried to distract him, Link did his best to summon that willpower again.

He thought of all the people who would suffer if he failed, if the Fierce Deity was set free. He thought of each of his friends individually and imagined them lending him their strength for his cause, but when he thought of Saria, his doubts grew again. Would she help him? Did he even deserve her help?

Link paused in his efforts to summon strength of will as he realized the truth: no. He didn't deserve it. He had made her upset. It was _his_ fault she was angry at him, not hers. Nothing could ever be her fault. She was so beautiful, so pure…and he had marred her face with sadness and anger.

He was a terrible person. He did not deserve her help…or the help of anyone else, for that matter. For what he had done to the person he loved, he deserved to die.

New negative thoughts sprung up, created by the Fierce Deity, though Link mistook them for his own. 'You're even worse than Mido. I can't believe you ever thought Saria could be happy around you.'

It was all too much. Link was straining to resist all the negativity, but it just kept piling up. Suddenly, all the doubts and angry and sad thoughts voiced themselves at once, and he couldn't handle them.

'Ha ha ha!' The Fierce Deity laughed. 'You really are pathetic. Look at the great Hero of Time now! I will break free and destroy your friends, and it's all because you can't control your silly emotions!'

Link's eyes went wide in fear, and he struggled to overcome the voices. 'No!' he communicated. 'I…I won't let you! You'll never lay a hand on Saria!'

'And what do you care? It's not like she cares for you.'

It seemed as though there were a hundred voices in Link's head, all of them laughing at him. He felt himself shrinking away from their taunts. But even so, he had to do something.

He decided to use his enemies' laughter against them. He let it transform his shame and embarrassment into anger. 'I've kept you at bay for nine years. I'll be damned if I let you escape now!' Link's resolve doubled even as the voices laughed in response to his comments, and his mental energy seemingly restored itself. With a new determination, he once again attempted to conquer his dark side.

He yelled in fury, psyching himself up. His magical aura was out of control: white hot flames lashed out from his body, turning to steam against the heavy rain. He could practically hear Dampe telling him he could do it, encouraging him as he had always done during their magic lessons. Link took Dampe's words to heart and believed in himself. He could do this. He _would_ do this.

He zipped through his mind from doubt to doubt and voice to voice, crushing them through sheer willpower, but even as he did so, he realized that he was too late. He had finally put his emotions in check, but it didn't matter; enough damage had already been done to ensure the Fierce Deity's victory. So many bad thoughts had risen that Link could not possibly beat them all back down before they consumed him.

His fate dawned on him: he would not live to see another day. His soul would be gone once the deity took over his body, and as Link comprehended this, his life flashed before his eyes. Random images floated through his brain, images of his adventures, of the people he had met, but most of all, images of Saria. She was everything that mattered to him. And he would never see her again.

Link gave in to despair. A new stream of tears flowed from his eyes, and he sobbed pitifully. 'You win,' he choked out. His voice was that of a broken man.

The deity cackled madly. 'I knew you'd see it my way eventually. Now just relax. It'll all be over soon.'

An enormous amount of pain unexpectedly beset Link. He clutched his head in his hands and howled out in pain, feeling overwhelmed, as though his soul were being shoved into a tiny box that kept getting smaller.

Then it all stopped. The pain was gone, and he experienced a delightful detachment from his senses. They were growing duller: he could no longer hear the rain pouring down on Hyrule Field, nor could he feel it hitting his own skin. It was as if he were being lulled to sleep. A relaxed smile crept onto his face, and he fell over onto his back. His soul would soon be gone forever, but he didn't care; he felt…at peace, for the first time in far too long.

'Goodbye, Link.'

But just then, something happened that pulled Link's soul out of its half-sleep. Link felt something: a force that was gently tugging his body in a specific direction. He vaguely wondered what it was.

'Go to sleep,' the deity said to him. Its voice was somehow malicious and soothing at the same time. 'You don't have to worry about anything anymore. You can finally rest now…'

Link let himself relax more, but he was still interested in what the tugging was. It was the only thought which possessed him, and though the desire to know wasn't that strong, it was the only thing that was keeping his soul from being lost forever.

His senses were almost completely gone now. He heard nothing except his companion's voice, felt nothing but numbness and the sensation of fading away, becoming nonexistent. But what was left of his sense of sight suddenly perceived a brilliant golden glow.

'Huh?' Both Link and the Fierce Deity responded simultaneously. Link noticed his senses returning to him in response to his curiosity. He tried to open his eyes.

'Wait, don't!' The immortal said quickly. 'I mean, wouldn't you rather be resting?'

But Link was intrigued by the glow and didn't listen. When he finally managed to open his eyes, he saw that the golden glow was coming from a triangle-shaped mark on his left hand. He knew that meant something, but what it was, he could not figure out for the life of him. 'Gan…gan…' He tried to form the name of someone, but he was almost too far gone for his memory to kick in. The name was on the tip of his tongue.

And then it all made sense. "Ganondorf!" he shouted. The glowing and tugging were the result of Link's Triforce of Courage reacting with Ganondorf's Triforce of Power, and that could only mean one thing: the Gerudo King was back.

Link's senses came back to him fully, and he chastised himself for almost letting the Fierce Deity win. He had a job to do: if either the Fierce Deity or Ganon was allowed to walk the earth freely, everyone would suffer. Link would not let that happen. He would never let any harm come to Saria, even if she hated him.

The Fierce Deity sensed his intentions. 'You're too late. Can't you feel your life force diminishing? You've failed her!'

Link didn't care what his nemesis was saying. He thought about Saria. He thought about everything he loved about her, and he let his love for her fuel his ambition. Losing was not an option: Link was going to win his soul back.

His piece of the Triforce began radiating more golden light. Link's doubts were screaming at him, but he screamed back and they were silent.

'W-what are you doing? Stop it!' The Fierce Deity called.

'Sorry,' Link responded, though he wasn't sorry in the least. 'It looks like you're stuck with me for a while longer.' No longer under the god's spell, he jumped to his feet.

'No! I _will_ have my freedom, and you will not stop me!'

But in Link's righteous anger, Courage started glowing even more brightly, and the next moment, the evil one was silenced. Link knew that his piece of the Triforce had temporarily blocked out the Fierce Deity's thoughts.

Nonetheless, the one inside his head was not the greatest of his worries at the moment: Ganondorf had somehow escaped the Sacred Realm. Link turned every which way and tried to determine which direction the pull on his part of the Triforce was coming from. Once he was absolutely sure, he pulled out his Fairy Ocarina, shoving aside all memories of Saria it brought up, and played Epona's Song. Within the minute, he heard his horse neighing and galloping toward him from Lon Lon Ranch. When she reached him, Link leapt on top of her and immediately kicked her sides, letting her know he was on an urgent mission.

Epona galloped with Link to their destination: the Temple of Time, where the portal between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm was, and also where the Master Sword lay dormant. The first step to defeating Ganon was retrieving the blade of evil's bane, the only weapon (other than the Silver Arrow) capable of harming him. Link would worry about where the King of Evil actually was afterward.

Epona weaved through the crowd of market folk in Hyrule Castle Town, and the duo arrived at the temple in three minutes. Link dove off of his horse and rushed inside before she had even stopped, and what greeted him on the inside was a completely destroyed Door of Time. The enormous stone panel had been broken into many kid-sized rocks, and in its place was a black translucent energy field.

Link instantly knew what was going on: Ganondorf had created the wall of dark energy in hopes of stopping the hero from reaching the Master Sword. But Link would not be deterred. He fired a light arrow at it, and when that did nothing, he fired a beam of light energy, silently thanking Dampe for teaching him how.

The pale yellow and white light beam was so bright that it lit up the building. It collided with the force field, and they annihilated each other. When the unnatural light faded, Link pressed on down the corridor that the dark energy had been concealing.

He wasted no time when he reached the Master Sword. Grabbing its hilt, he tore it from the Pedestal of Time, and it slipped effortlessly from its resting place. As he held it in the air, he felt a comfort and familiarity he had not experienced in a long time. Like an old friend. He instantly knew that he would be stronger and faster with this sword than he would with any other. It just felt so perfect in his grip. It was what he was meant to use.

Link knew the consequences of removing it from the pedestal of time: the Master Sword was what closed the path between the world Link was in now and the world in which Hyrule was plunged into darkness, the alternate timeline in which Ganondorf had taken over and then been defeated. By removing the Master Sword, Link had broken the spell the Sages cast which wiped everyone's memories clean.

He would worry about that later, though, for right now, an inventory check was in order. He checked his person and found the Master Sword, Gilded Sword, Hylian Shield, hookshot, bow and arrows, a blue potion, two fairies in a bottle, and most importantly, the Silver Arrow. Only one problem remained: where was Ganondorf?

Link sheathed the Master Sword, closed his eyes to focus, and determined that Ganondorf was headed in the direction of Hyrule Castle. That could only mean he was after the princess and her part of the Triforce. Link left the Temple of Time, jumped back on Epona, and pursued his arch nemesis, and as he rode, he thought about his upcoming battle. To guarantee the safety of Saria and his other friends, he would have to kill Ganondorf, but with Saria's words still ringing clear as ever in his head, he felt so devoid of joy that he honestly didn't care if he died as well in the process.

He would of course make sure Ganondorf died before he did, for that was the only way to make sure no harm would come to the Kokiri girl; but as for his own life, he would take whatever hand fate dealt him.

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**Dannondorf:** Well what do you know? Ganondorf actually sort of _saved_ Link in this chapter. Obviously that's not going to stop Link from trying to kill him in the next one, but whatever.

This chapter was very difficult for me to write: I wanted to avoid creating an emo Link, but I also wanted to illustrate just how awful it is for him to have to deal with the Fierce Deity all the time. I'm happy with the results. Are you? Please let me know. Remember, my goal is to make this the best Link/Saria story ever, and I'm going to need help to do it.

Will Saria and Link ever see each other again? You all probably already know the answer to this, since this is a romance, but I still reserve the right to pretend to keep you in suspense. :p And what of the Fierce Deity? He may be thwarted for now, but don't count him out of the picture just yet. ;)

There are only two more chapters left. Can you believe it? I'm going to give myself some extra time with the next one because it's the big confrontation between Link and Ganondorf. It'll probably be about two weeks before I post it.

If you took the time to read, please review! I will love you forever. Dannondorf out.


	10. Enter Ganondorf

Saria's Wish

By Dannondorf

"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

**Author's Notes:** Hello! I'm back from a crazy hiatus with chapters ten and eleven, the final parts of the story, in tow. I'm deeply sorry for just letting this story hang when there were some people interested in it, but now I'm back and the story's finished. I hope you'll understand and won't hold this against me. But enough apologies. Here are the last two chapters of Saria's Wish. Enjoy!

**Shout-outs: **I feel a little awkward thanking people for their reviews half a year after the fact, so there aren't any shout-outs in this chapter. Well, actually, I'm going to give one last shout-out to **OyOfMidworld**, whom I didn't ask to beta-read these last two chapters because I thought it would be unfair to ask that after such a long hiatus. Thank you for sticking with me for so long and for your comments. They really helped!

**Summary:** Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?

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Chapter 10: "Enter Ganondorf"

Hyrule Field was breathtaking, even in the rain. Like an ocean of grass, it stretched out farther than anything Saria had ever seen. There was so much open space and so few obstacles that would keep someone from running around freely. The sky was equally open: no tall trees obstructed her view of it, unlike in the forest. She had had no idea that the sky, or even the world, was this large.

Way off in the distance, she could see through the rain what she knew from Link's stories was a castle, and to her it looked fit for a giant. To the far right of the castle was an even taller structure, most likely the land formation she had heard Link refer to as a "mountain."

Saria had never felt so small in her entire life. She had always thought she was small when she stood next to Link's grown-up body, but that was nothing compared to this. She felt as though the world might swallow her up if she wasn't careful.

Nevertheless, as incredible as it was for her to be in a new place, the scenery was not foremost on her mind right now: Link was.

Saria _needed_ to find Link. She needed to tell him so many things. She needed to tell him how sorry she was, to beg him to come back to the forest with her. She was so focused on him that she didn't even care about Ganondorf's imminent return at the moment, nor did she care that she was risking her life by venturing outside the safe haven that was her home.

He was her best friend, but more than that, he was her _life_. She thought about all the time they had spent together, laughing, playing, crying…she thought about how happy she was when he was around her and how empty she felt when he was away.

Link had had such a dramatic effect on her life. Back when they were both the same size, he had been the only one in the village who was as energetic as her, and they had been inseparable. They both changed after that, but their bond only grew stronger, and now she couldn't imagine what she would do without him. She needed him in order to be happy, even if he hated her now after how what she had said. She needed him to be with her. Saria was determined to find him and make things right, and once she got him back, she was never going to let him go again.

Running, Saria abruptly realized that she gotten too far ahead of Dampe again. Reluctantly, she slowed to a stop and turned back to face him, waiting for him to catch up. She didn't like how slowly they were moving. It was taking every bit of self-restraint she had to keep from leaving him behind and running as quickly as she could. The size of this new world didn't matter to her: she could run across the whole darn thing if that's what it took to find her friend.

But she knew better. She did not know the way to Dampe's house, and since that was where Link's journal had said Link might be going, she had to wait patiently for Dampe to lead her there. Plus, if she strayed too far from him, the protective spell he had cast on her to keep her alive might wear off.

She was being unfair, she knew. Dampe was not the youngest of men, nor was he the fittest, but Saria could tell he was doing his best not to slow her down. His breathing was terribly labored as he jogged. "Are you okay?" She asked in a concerned tone.

"I'm…fine…" he panted out.

But it was clear to her that he was not fine, and it occurred to her that something wasn't right. When she met him at the bridge leading away from her home, he had not been tired in the least from his trek to Kokiri Forest. Sure, he had probably walked instead of run, but still…

Despite his age, he did not look too badly out of shape, and if she recalled correctly, Link had once told her that the grave keeper was very active. So why was he so tired? A wave of guilt hit her as she realized Dampe was putting a great deal of his energy into the protective spell. That's what was slowing him down. She suddenly felt bad that she was using him for her own selfish desires, but Saria was certain she was doing the right thing.

They continued their jog, and though they were making decent progress, it wasn't enough for her. Despite her initial awe at the sight of Hyrule Field, she had rapidly come to despise it for its size and the amount of time it was taking to cross it. The rain wasn't helping her mood, either.

They kept at it for what to Saria was an unbearable amount of time. She had walked for days and days in the forest before, but having to slow down to her fellow traveler's pace when she was in a rush was torture. Plus, since they were in an open field with few landmarks, their destination never seemed to get any closer.

Relief came eventually, though, when the steady downpour halted. She was finally able to see clearly, and with a few rays of sunlight seeping through the clouds, she had to admit that Hyrule was beautiful despite her current attitude toward it. This put her in a slightly better, more optimistic mood, and she quickened her pace, figuring they would be able to move faster without the precipitation. She expected Dampe would do the same, but after ten steps, she realized he was no longer following her. She couldn't hear his ragged breaths or his heavy footsteps in the mud. Bewildered and slightly worried, she quit walking and turned once again to face him.

Dampe was not even moving. He seemed frozen in place, not making a sound with eyes wide and mouth slightly open. He was holding in a breath, and his face was contorted in a way that told Saria he was in a situation he could not handle.

The Forest Sage's optimism was forgotten, and fear overcame her. 'Oh my goddesses! What's wrong with him? He must've used up too much power to get me this far!' She sprinted to his side. "Dampe. Dampe! What's wrong?" He answered by trembling and falling to his knees. He still did not breathe. Saria was ready to start panicking. "Please! You have to get up!"

And then the trembling stopped. He suddenly gasped for air as if emerging from a body of water. Slowly but surely, he regained his standing position. His eyes were still wide open, but now held a look of amazement rather than pain and confusion.

She could see he was better now, but she was still wary. "Are…you all right? What happened?"

His heart rate recovered from the brief trauma, and he looked down at the small girl in wonder. "I remember…" Saria was starting to think he had become delirious from pushing himself too hard, but she let him continue. "I-I remember! Don't you see? I…!"

"Calm down," she said cautiously. "You need to rest for a moment."

He shook his head wildly. "No!" he babbled excitedly. "Don't you get it? I remember everything now! Ganondorf ruled for seven years. He turned Castle Town into a home for Redeads! I—" A thousand images, memories, flashed through his head in rapid succession. Poes had taken over his graveyard. He had…_died_. He had met sixteen-year-old Link and challenged him to a race through the underground catacombs.

Understanding dawned on her. "You remember the alternate timeline?"

"Yes!"

Saria furrowed her brow in thought. 'Why would he suddenly remember that? Unless…' She looked up at him in alarm. "Link's pulled the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time."

His awed expression fell into one of dread similar to hers as he realized the hidden meaning behind her statement. "Ganondorf..."

There was a brief pause when both were frozen in place. Then they snapped out of it and began running for all they were worth, the grave keeper taking the lead this time. "Where to now?" she shouted.

"If the Gerudo King is here and Link knows about it, he won't be going to my house. Come on!"

Altering their direction so they sprinted toward the castle in the distance, they saw that Hylians had begun pouring out of Castle Town into Hyrule Field. It was official: the owner of the Triforce of Power was back.

Presently a woman on horseback sped by the old man and the youth in the direction that they were running, apparently coming from a small settlement to their backs at the center of the field. (Lon Lon Ranch, though Saria didn't know the name of it) But once she was twenty feet ahead of them, she suddenly halted and looked back at the Forest Sage in disbelief. Dampe and Saria planned on ignoring the strange look and jogging past her, until she shouted. "Saria?!"

The pair stopped, wondering where she had learned the green-haired girl's name. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"No. But I know a guy named Link who always talks about his green-haired best friend. My name's Malon."

Saria stiffened imperceptibly. This was the girl—'No, the _woman_,' a traitorous voice inside her corrected—that Link always visited when he wasn't with the Kokiri. A bit of the jealousy the eternal child felt whenever Link mentioned the red-head reared its ugly head. A tiny hint of anger appeared in her countenance, but she managed not to let her emotions get the best of her.

In the seconds that followed, she awkwardly searched her mind for a suitable response to the Hylian's introduction. She couldn't say "It's nice to meet you," because it wasn't. Despite all the invading of Link's privacy she had done lately, Saria hated to lie and deceive, and thought she was sure that Malon must be a wonderful person to have befriended him, she could not bring herself to be excited about meeting her.

Luckily, Dampe came to the rescue. "I'm sorry, miss, but we're in a hurry. Link is—"

"Did you see where he went?" she interrupted frantically. "I have a terrible feeling that he's—"

Saria didn't pay attention to the rest of the conversation. She caught the major points, like Dampe informing Malon that she wasn't the only one who suddenly remembered an alternate future and that Ganondorf was back and that Link was most likely about to fight him, but her interest was elsewhere at the moment.

'She looks…scared. She's just as scared as I am that something might happen to Link.' It was completely unreasonable to get mad at her for being worried for the safety of their mutual friend, but the Kokiri's blood boiled regardless. Before she had time to think any more about it, though, Malon remounted her horse and rode back the way she had come. Thinking Dampe had assured her that everything would be all right and that she could go back home, Saria calmed down, but her relief was short-lived.

"Has Link ever taught you how to ride a horse?"

The question snapped her back to reality. "Huh? No. Why?"

He frowned as he looked down at her. "Weren't you listening? Ganondorf is likely going straight for the princess at the castle, and that's a long way from here on foot. Malon's going back to her ranch to get another horse for us."

"I—is she coming with us?"

The old man sighed. "I told her it was too dangerous, but, like you, she refuses to stay behind while Link is in danger."

Dampe meant no harm and was clueless as to her inner turmoil, but his comment rubbed her the wrong way. He not only ruined her fantasy of not having to deal with Malon again soon, but also compared her to the person she liked least at the moment. Anger returned, and this time it was difficult to contain, taking the form of extreme impatience. Even though she knew it would be faster to wait for a few minutes and then travel the rest of the way on horseback, Saria almost wanted to leave right now without her and go the remaining distance on foot just to spite her.

Fortunately she didn't have to wait long before Malon returned with an extra horse following the one she was on. When she neared and brought both animals to a halt, Dampe took the initiative and climbed onto the one without a person on its back. He then looked expectantly at Saria, who was unsure of what to do. "Climb on and sit behind me. I know how to ride, so don't worry about that. Just hold on."

She glanced briefly at Malon, who had already taken off. A fierce determination ignited within her. She had already been adamant in finding Link, but it had been a reflection of her desperation to see him again. Now she had another reason: she did not want Malon to find him before she did. Why, she didn't know, but with her best friend (and the whole kingdom) in peril, the "why" hardly mattered. She and Dampe had to act quickly, and pausing to think was a luxury they could not afford.

Being too short to climb, she grabbed his outstretched hand and let him pull her up before delicately grabbing on to him for safety. A kick to the horse's sides propelled them forward at a faster rate than Saria thought possible, and a mixture of fear and exhilaration temporarily shoved aside all her thoughts, although they came back quickly: as soon as her horse caught up with Malon's, her strange competitive spirit returned.

She kept sneaking peeks at Malon, trying to study her without being conspicuous. She knew there were much more important matters now, but it would be a few minutes before the group reached its destination, and that was all the motivation she needed to satisfy her curiosity.

'She _sort_ of looks like how I pictured an adult woman. She's big like Link and has about the same shape as a Kokiri, but there are some weird differences. What's wrong with her chest? Is there something under her shirt?'

She was distracted from her thoughts when they got close enough to Castle Town that they had to weave around all the people evacuating. Seeing all the frightened citizens made her a little frightened as well, but she steeled herself and fought back the negative feelings.

They reached Castle Town, and for a glorious minute she saw for the first time a city whose buildings were not carved from trees. Then she was in a field once again, and she could see the foundations of Hyrule Castle.

Its majesty was ruined by the dead bodies of soldiers that littered the landscape. Saria thought she was going to be sick. She had never seen such carnage, and stomaching it proved to be quite a challenge. She felt terrible about it, but she closed her eyes and tried to ignore what she had seen.

The three riders made it to the front gate and dismounted. Saria took the lead and opened the door. The group was about to enter when a Malon heard a familiar neigh.

"Epona!"

"Malon, let's go!"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't ignore all these soldiers. I'm going to take Epona and see if I can help any who are still alive. You two go on ahead." And just like that, she was off.

At this point, Saria was too focused on finally finding her best friend to be either happy or sad about Malon's departure. She turned to her other companion. "Come on!"

Dampe was not the bravest of people. After seeing so many dead soldiers, he was having second thoughts about this journey. He was beginning to think that Malon had the right idea. "M-my dear, maybe we shouldn't go after him. This is his fight and his fight alone. We cannot interfere."

"I don't care! I'm going after him! If you want to run away, that's fine by me!" She disappeared inside.

Dampe hesitated. Link would surely kill him if Saria were harmed in any way, but seeking out Ganondorf could very likely get him killed as well. Fear of Link won out over fear of Ganondorf, and he followed her into the fortress.

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That song…that accursed song. It resonated throughout the castle, and Link had a hard time preventing unease from creeping in. It was unchanged from the last time he had heard it, so long ago. Played on an organ undoubtedly located at the top floor just a few staircases above him, it pierced his soul, evil and malevolence as clear as the dissonance which composed it.

'It's _his_ song. The song of his _soul_.'

It grew louder as he ascended the stairs before reaching the peak of the crescendo just outside the final room. Link touched the door, and it automatically opened for him. The scene that met him as he entered was almost identical to the one in the alternate future except for one key feature: Zelda was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't trapped in a crystal prison hovering over the organ as he had somewhat expected her to be.

Ganondorf sat in front of the organ, his back turned to Link, playing his music with fingers almost too big for the keys. Then, sensing Link's presence, he ended his recital and stood, turning around to face him with a wicked grin. "Hello Link."

He walked calmly toward the Hero. Link looked him over: he was exactly as Link remembered him, except he was even bigger, stronger, and more intimidating than before.

"It's been a while." The Gerudo spoke as if he were greeting an old friend. "I just reacquainted myself with the princess."

It angered Link to see his enemy treat the situation so casually. "Where is she?"

"You should already know. Surely you've noticed the pull you feel toward her through your Triforce piece disappear and mine grow twice as strong." Smirking, he raised his right arm to show Link the Triforce symbol on the back of his fist. Both the top triangle and the bottom right were glowing. "I have convinced her to give me the gift of Wisdom," he said proudly.

"Where is she?" Link repeated.

Ganondorf flashed him the creepiest smile he had ever seen, a smile Ganondorf had been waiting to give him for nine years. "I'm not making the same mistakes I made last time. Did you really think I'd just let her free after I had no more use for her?"

The implications of that question hit Link hard. The Master Sword in his hand glowed with righteous fury. 'No! It—it can't be! Zelda!' He searched the larger man's face for any hint that he might be lying, but there was none. He looked so smug right now that Link wanted to rip his face off. "Why? She wasn't a threat to you anymore!"

"Neither were the castle guards, but I killed them. Why aren't you upset by _their_ deaths?"

Link was livid. All the anger he had been feeling the past few days about being expelled from the forest bubbled to the surface. He had already lost Saria. Now he had lost Zelda too.

Ganondorf stared at the glowing blade in Link's left hand, and his smirk grew. "Perhaps you didn't know this, but I too am a swordsman, and I have a special sword just like you. Your blade has the power to repel evil, while mine…" he held out his right hand, and an enormous sword made of dark energy materialized in its grip, "has the power to repel good." On his command, black energy rippled and leapt across the surface of his sword. In response, the bottles Link had been carrying with him shattered and the fairies he had brought flew away, unable to stand such a strong source of darkness. Link watched them escape, feeling slightly panicky. Fortunately, the lone bottle of blue potion he had brought remained in tact. "While I was trapped in the Sacred Realm, I poured my anger, hatred, and sorrow into this blade. Your fairies are too pure to stand up to its might; they can't help you any more than Navi did."

Link was puzzled. Was his enemy hinting at something?

"You may blame me for her death, but she dug her own grave: no fairy has stayed in my presence as long as she did and lived."

The Hylian was smacked with a sudden revelation. Had Navi fled because she had been fatally weakened by Ganondorf's dark magic when they first fought? Perhaps she hadn't wanted Link to see her die? That would explain why she left without a single word. Was she dead now? Link almost asked for confirmation of his suspicions, but the pleased, sadistic way Ganondorf smiled at him told him everything.

"Any ordinary man might go insane in the presence of such concentrated evil, but as you know, you and I are so much more than ordinary men." Link was too angry about Navi's death to act surprised when a dark shield materialized in his enemy's left hand. "It's a shame the Triforce bearers are destined to be enemies; had the threads of fate been spun a bit differently, we could have been powerful allies. You and I are alike in many ways." He smiled wickedly on the last sentence.

Link did not deny this. As he stood, sword in left hand and shield in right, he noticed that his enemy held his sword and shield in the opposite manner so that as the two faced each other, their battle stances were mirror images. Both of them had the strength and determination to get where they were now, and neither was willing to back down until the other was defeated.

Ready to cut Ganondorf into a million pieces for hurting his friends, Link made the first move.

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Stairs were the toughest foes Saria and Dampe encountered on their way to the top floor. The place was oddly devoid of monsters, most likely because Ganondorf hadn't been out of the Sacred Realm long enough to make an army. She wasted no time climbing from floor to floor despite Dampe's wheezing protests. 'So close…we're almost there…'

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Neither fighter was able to gain an advantage over the other. They were matching each other blow for blow, and Link had a hunch that the first one to make a mistake would be the one who lost. Determined not to let that be him, he went all out in his attacks, utilizing everything he had ever learned from his sword training.

Focus was vital; the slightest error could mean the end of him. Thankfully, he had taught himself long ago how to push all other thoughts away while fighting, and he was having no trouble doing just that.

But it would not last. To his utter horror, a voice entered his head and began laughing. The Fierce Deity, complete with its penchant for bad timing, had found its voice again after being silenced by Courage earlier. 'Use me!' it cried.

'Please,' Link begged, gritting his teeth and trying to concentrate, 'not now. I can't handle Ganon AND you!' He narrowly avoided having his head chopped off and swung back to return the favor.

'Ha ha ha! We don't have to be enemies, kid! We can work together, and I guarantee we'll make mincemeat of this chump. All you have to do is LET ME OUT!'

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Saria and Dampe heard sword clashing against sword, and they quickened their pace. They could see an open door at the top of the stairs, and the volume of the noise told her that Link was inside. The last stretch of stairs was long, and even running as fast as they were they had a sizeable amount of time to listen to the heavy breathing and the shouting and the swords hitting each other.

But before the newcomers had ascended the whole way, the noises stopped. Two different but simultaneous gasps of pain reached Saria's ears. She recognized one of them as Link's and judged the other lower-pitched gasp to be Ganondorf's. No more breathing or movement could be heard.

The little girl and old man quit running, suddenly afraid of what they might find if they continued. They waited for any auditory signs of life. Fifteen seconds passed by, and she thought her heart would beat out of her chest if this kept up. Now deathly scared that something might have happened to Link, she shoved all dread aside and bolted up the final few stairs, and there she witnessed the single most terrifying moment of her life.

The two warriors had been in a frenzy to find a chance to impale the other, and they had evidently both found that chance at the same time. Link and Ganondorf stood facing each other without moving. The Master Sword, still firmly in Link's grasp, had been forced through the Gerudo's stomach and was now sticking out of his back. Similarly, a gigantic dark sword that Ganondorf held had pierced Link's body. Trembling with the effort to remain upright, they had each dropped their shield in shock from the blow, but neither released his grip on his sword, even as their legs gave and they collapsed.

The Forest Sage shrieked. "LINK!!!"

Dampe was in no small amount of shock himself, but he had enough sense to hold her back as she attempted to rush to her friend's side.

Saria was understandably enraged at being held back. "Let me GO!"

Her youthful energy was a handful for an old-timer like him, but he held her in place. "You must not go over there! This battle isn't over yet!"

"Huh?" Saria obeyed his wishes when she saw that the Triforce of Power on Ganondorf's hand had begun to glow. It became more and more luminous until he was engulfed in the golden light, and his form very slowly began to change. 'He's using Power to transform into Ganon!'

She checked to see if Link's piece of the Triforce was also glowing, but there wasn't a single part of him that looked alive.

"Link, get up! Please!" He didn't respond. Saria didn't even know if he could hear her, and that scared her almost as much as his wound did. 'Oh no, he's not moving! What if he's…he's…' Tears began flowing without her permission. "You can't die! Get up!"

Still nothing happened, and Ganondorf was nearly done transforming.

She didn't care about Ganondorf, though. She was too busy trying to will Link to be all right. She couldn't handle the idea of him not being okay. 'I can't ever see myself living without you if you die, Link. You _have_ to be alive!' But without any response from him, her hope began to fade. 'No…I did not come this far from the forest to lose you like this! There has to be _something_ I can do!'

Meanwhile, Dampe attempted to stop the transformation. He was weak from using so much power on Saria's protective spell, but he utilized what little magic he had left to throw light energy at Ganondorf's incandescent body. It was all for naught, though: nothing he did slowed the process or even elicited a reaction. He did not have the enough mana to do any significant damage, and once he realized this, he backed up against a wall, not knowing what to do.

Saria's fear and despair gave way to anger, and she was about to use her magic in the way Dampe had done when she noticed a bulge in one of Link's tunic pockets. She automatically knew what it was, for he had always reserved that pocket for one thing and one thing only.

'Nine years…I can't believe he's kept the ocarina I gave him all this time…' A transient nostalgia filled her mind as she remembered all the time she had spent playing music with him, and it was then that she recalled the song ("Link's Song," as he called it) that he had taught her barely over a week ago. (Author's Note: What, you thought I would just mention that Link had a special song in chapter two and then never bring it up again? Shame on you:p) _I made that song up while I was in Termina. Every time I felt too tired to go on and the situation depressed me to the point of inaction, I played it and felt my will power return to me. This song is very special to me._

Remembering how the song had rejuvenated him after he had tired himself out that day, Saria pulled out her own ocarina and played it as fast as she could without messing up the notes or the rhythm.

When it ended, Courage began glowing, and she felt hope rushing back to her. The dark sword slipped out of Link's stomach, and the huge hole in his body healed. An invisible force picked him up off the ground and placed him on his feet. Amazingly, he seemed to have no trouble assuming battle stance again, his Master Sword and Hylian Shield once more at the ready.

Link noticed for the first time that she and Dampe were at the scene. His eyes widened. "Saria?! What—"

The conversation would have to wait, for Ganondorf had now fully transformed into Ganon. Link backed up and fired a Light Arrow at him, but the monster blocked it with one of its two new swords. In a moment of insight, he realized that this was not the same Ganon he battled last time. He had only won against it in the alternate timeline because the creature had been blinded by rage and bloodlust and fought poorly because of it. This time, it seemed that Ganon was in full control of its abilities.

The monster rushed toward Link with a speed that belied its size. He was so surprised that all he could manage to do before the distance between them vanished was bring up his Hylian Shield for a defensive stance; but the blow Ganon delivered was so powerful that it sent him flying. He hit a wall hard and fell to the ground.

Sensing victory, Ganon roared in delight. Link could feel the floor vibrate as the behemoth stomped toward him to deliver a fatal blow. His mind raced, yelling frantically for his body to get up, but his collision with the wall had temporarily immobilized him. 'Come on, get up! It can't end like this!'

The Fierce Deity chose this moment to enter his mind once more. 'Ha ha! What's the matter, kid? Not up to the challenge?'

Rage and determination filled Link. 'Shut up,' he answered mentally. 'I'm going to kill Ganondorf, and you're going to help me.'

'So you've finally decided to let me out.'

'Not exactly.' Link's anger and resolve surged and flowed through him. Images of everyone and everything he held dear passed in front of his mind's eye, and he knew that no matter what, he had to win this fight. There was only one way to accomplish this, though. The Triforce of Courage glowed until it was brighter than it had ever been before.

The demon realized what he was trying to do. 'What the—? You think you can control me? _Me_? I'm a god! I'll take over your body and your soul will be lost forever!' It continued to scream, but Link was no longer concerned with the Fierce Deity's voice or even aware of it. All he knew was that he was going to borrow its powers for a while.

During the five-second-period in which this mental battle had taken place, Ganon had made it to the collapsed Link and was just about to strike and end Courage's glow, but before the oversized swords landed, an explosion of opaque white energy covered Link and concealed him. The momentum of Ganon's swing was negated, and it was forced back a few feet.

The next instant Link was no longer concealed, and he was standing upright, much to Ganon's surprise. A white aura still surrounded him, but it was translucent now instead of opaque, like a thin veil of fog. Moments later the energy dissipated, and everyone was granted a clear view of him.

He still appeared Hylian, and he still had his same basic shape, but he was…frightening. First of all, he had somehow grown to Ganon's size. His hair had changed to a ghostly white, and his eyes glowed white with an unworldly fury, pupils no longer visible. His tunic was not the green color that people used to identify him; it was blue, and his underclothing, formerly white, was dark blue. Black armor covered part of his tunic. Red wings were painted across his eyes, like a bloody mask, and a set of blue wings were visible on his forehead. His sword had also undergone a transformation: it was still the Master Sword, as it still had the mark of the Triforce on it, but it was now a two-handed double-helix blade that was as large as his new form.

Saria's and Dampe's eyes communicated a mixture of wonder, relief, and fear. "Is that…Link?" Dampe asked, voice trembling.

Ganon was intrigued by this new development, and before it realized the danger it was in, Oni Link lunged forward. Like Majora, Ganon never stood a chance, for Link was a god now. The new and improved Master Sword cut through the beast's flesh again and again so quickly that all the spectators saw were flashes of light. Ganon's cries of pain made Saria's and Dampe's hair stand on end.

Finally, both had reached their limits. Oni Link jumped back. It was taking a tremendous amount of energy for Link to stay in this form even with Courage's help, and he had pushed himself too hard; he could not maintain this form any longer. Ganon had taken too many blows; he could not remain in this monstrous any more, even with Power on his side.

The arena flashed a brilliant white, and when Saria and Dampe opened their eyes again, they saw that Link and Ganondorf had reverted back to their original bodies and were panting very heavily. The Gerudo King was in terrible shape: every wound he had received as Ganon was still visible. His armor had been completely destroyed, and with all the cuts on his body, it was a wonder his skin wasn't falling off. Link was only slightly better off; although he had not sustained any attacks as Oni Link, the transformation had taken a huge chunk of his energy away.

The two foes stood some twenty feet apart and stared, each waiting for the other to make a move. When neither did, and it appeared to Ganondorf that he was safe to catch his breath for a moment, he opened his mouth to speak. Blood poured forth from it.

Link saw a change in the Gerudo's eyes: before, they had been burning with rage and determination, but now they were softening. Not only that, but the desert man was dropping his fighting stance. Nonetheless, Link kept his, determined not to let the other fighter catch him off guard. He remained focused, his warrior instincts telling him that Ganondorf was trying to trick him somehow.

But no attack came. Ganondorf merely spoke. "Do you know…what power is?"

Link said nothing. He kept his defensive stance, still suspecting that the other man was trying to get him to lower his guard.

Ganondorf continued. "Power is not strength, nor is it the ability to destroy: it is _control_. I have always seen power as the ability to control one's destiny. Do you not desire this?"

Link decided to humor his nemesis with a quick nod, but he still refused to relax. He tried not to look at the red liquid exuding from the Gerudo's mouth with each pained word.

Ganondorf hung his head. "So do I…but neither of us can have it. I have fought for it all my life, but I have never had it, despite this damn triangle on my hand. I knew even before this fight began that I would not win. Such is my destiny. I have been fighting this destiny for so long…but to no avail. My only purpose…" he went into a series of bloody coughs, "…is to fight you. Even my own death can't thwart my destiny; years after we both die, we will be resurrected so we can fight once more. And years after our reincarnations die, we will be resurrected to fight yet again. Forever and ever…until the end of time. The goddesses have cursed me!" Yelling the last sentence, he lifted his head to shoot Link a look of total hatred. "And the only way to break this curse, the only way to take my life back…is to kill _you_." Ganondorf clenched his fists, and the rage returned to his eyes. "I swear, Link, you may have won this time, but we'll fight again; and when we do, I will obliterate you and that pathetic princess! I will obtain the Triforce and take over this world!" Ganondorf cackled in sheer insane delight.

Link had had enough. With what was left of his strength, he drew the Silver Arrow from his quiver. It was light, but he was barely able to lift his own arm, and the added weight caused him to tremble violently with effort. With a great deal of strain, he drew his bow and pulled the string back with the arrow. He shook so much that he was afraid his aim would be off, even though his target was standing still right in front of him. He felt like he might pass out at any moment, and his vision was starting to blur, but he concentrated all his energy into his aiming. He released the bowstring and launched the magical arrow toward Ganondorf's face. It pierced his brain with ease, and the King of Evil collapsed and did not speak or move again.

Firing the Silver Arrow consumed the last remaining bit of Link's physical and magical strength. 'That's okay. He's dead. I don't have to do any more.' He was on the verge of collapsing himself until a strange light coming from Ganondorf caught his attention. A wave of panic swept through him. 'No! He can't still be alive! I-I finished him! I don't have the strength to fight him again!'

It soon became clear, however, that Ganon would not rise. The light was coming from Ganon's pieces of the Triforce! Wisdom and Power detached themselves from his hand and floated above him. The two triangles floated and spun slowly in the air, giving off enough light to blind anyone who dared look at them for too long. Then, without warning, they rocketed toward Link. Link expected to have the wind knocked out of him, but to his astonishment he felt nothing from the impact, and the two triangles vanished upon contact with him. Confused, he looked at the back of his left hand and gasped. There, printed on his skin, was the Triforce. Not just Courage, but the whole Triforce. His body became warm, and every square inch of his being started emitting light.

Saria turned to Dampe. "What's happening?"

"The Triforce parts are resonating; they are becoming one again. Link has achieved a balance between courage, power, and wisdom. He has become worthy of holding the entire Triforce!"

Saria remembered the words of legend. _If one with an evil heart obtains the Triforce, the world will be led into a dark age of fear and misery, but if it is obtained by one with a pure heart, the world will enter a golden age of peace and prosperity._

'What will he wish for?'

Three lyrical voices (the goddesses, he presumed) entered Link's head, and for once none of them belonged to the demon inside him. They spoke into his mind as one. 'You who have obtained all three pieces of the holy Triforce…what is your wish?'

Link was speechless. He had never seriously considered that one day he might have the entire Triforce and be able to make a wish. Now that it was happening, he didn't know what to do. He soon found an answer, though. '…I wish that the world will never have to suffer war or anything like Ganondorf again.'

'We cannot grant that wish. Strife and conflict will always exist, as it's a part of human and animal nature. We cannot eliminate war, nor can we eliminate Ganondorf. Existence requires a conflict between wisdom, courage, and power. In order for your world to live on, you, Zelda, and Ganondorf must be reborn every once in a while to fight for the Triforce.'

His spirits plummeted. 'Well, then…I wish I had a way of controlling the demon inside me and making sure it never gets out.'

'There is no point in granting such a wish. As the holder of the Triforce of Power, you already have complete control over the Fierce Deity.'

Link's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. After dealing with the god inside him for nine years, he could finally have peace of mind, plus he could call on the deity's power whenever he wanted! Half a minute passed while he wrapped his mind around this stunning information.

'What will you wish for now?'

He snapped out of his mental celebration and returned to the topic at hand. What else was there that he could wish for? 'Saria…' She was the most important person to him, and if he couldn't make the world better, he could at least start by giving her something. Mind made up, he spoke confidently. 'I wish that you would grant Saria's greatest desire.'

'It shall be done.'

The light that had been coming from him faded and the voices left. Link smiled broadly. The ordeal was over. He had won. Passing out still felt inevitable, but he no longer had to fight it. He closed his eyes and let unconsciousness overtake him.

"Link!" Saria rushed to his side.

Dampe glanced at the Forest Sage and noticed something that made his jaw drop: she was bigger. She had the body of an adult Hylian. Thinking he was seeing things, he rubbed his eyes, but the image remained when he looked again. 'Am I imagining this? What happened to her?' He contemplated voicing his confusion, but Saria didn't act like she was aware of the change. 'Her worry for Link must be distracting her. I won't say anything about it for now; we need to focus on getting him healed.' He walked over to Saria, who was kneeling beside the injured man, and put a hand on her shoulder. "He needs a healer _now_, or he won't make it."

She turned to face him. "You're good with magic. Do you know any healing spells?"

He nodded uncertainly. "I do know one, but it is weak at best. I only use it for small cuts and bruises, so it wouldn't be of any help here. What he needs is to have his wounds dressed and cleaned, and then when he wakes up he'll need a potion. Hopefully he has one on him."

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**Dannondorf:** As you might recall, Link does have a blue potion on him, so he'll be fine. :)

Jeez, I know I said that chapter nine was hard for me to write, but this one takes the cake. …Whatever. There's one more chapter left, and if I used my computer correctly, (which I don't always do when performing simple tasks) it should already be up. So turn the page and get ready for the last part of Saria's Wish! The tension that's been building between Link and Saria for the whole story is coming to a head. Read on!


	11. Resolution

Saria's Wish

By Dannondorf

"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

**Author's Notes:** I posted two chapters at once this time, so if you haven't read chapter ten yet, you should go back and do so before you ruin the ending. ;)

At last, the conclusion arrives. After all that waiting, we're finally going to see some actual romance. I just hope I don't screw it up.

**Summary:** Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?

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Chapter 11: "Resolution"

Link woke up, and in his exhausted state he vaguely registered that he was in a bed on the top floor of Malon's house. Knowing he was too weak to rise, he contented himself to lying still and collecting his thoughts. Zelda and Navi were dead. Link sighed with regret. He should have been able to prevent this. But he would save such thoughts for a time when he could actually move. He felt like he might fall apart if anyone tried to lift him.

Abruptly the sound of footsteps reached his ears, and he realized that someone was walking up the stairs to his room. A form emerged from the hole in the floor. When he saw red hair, he knew who it was. "Hey, Malon," he called softly. His throat was raw, so his voice was a little raspy.

She turned her head toward him in surprise, not expecting him to be awake, but the shock quickly changed into a warm greeting. "Hello, Fairy Boy," she said as her body rose above the floor. "Did you just wake up?"

"Yes. How long was I out?"

"Six hours." She continued to smile at him, and Link detected a hint of laughter in her eyes.

"What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," she said with an air of amusement. "But…doesn't this remind you of something?"

He frowned in contemplation. If she was talking about being injured to the point where he couldn't move, then yes, he had experienced it before. But what was so funny about that?

"I nursed you back to health in that same bed after you got your butt kicked at the Water Temple." She gave a small chuckle.

He smiled widely. "You remember now?"

"Everyone does. I don't understand why we all suddenly started remembering at the same time or how we forgot in the first place, but everyone knows about those seven years when Ganondorf ruled."

Link felt less awkward around Malon than he had in a long time. Finally, things were going back to normal between them.

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Two days passed. Link recovered little by little, but still lacked the strength to leave his bed. Malon and Dampe visited often to clean his wounds, give him food, and just keep him company, but Saria mysteriously did not show up. Without her, Link felt a gaping hole inside him. He asked the others where she was and if he could see her. They repeatedly assured him that she was busy and would see him as soon as she could, but never gave specific details. At length he figured out that they were keeping something from him. Either she didn't want to see him at all, or something terrible had happened to her. He wished he could get up and force some answers from his friends. He was worried about her.

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Malon was furious. She was tired of having to lie for her new friend. "Saria, you have to see him!"

Saria sat in the middle of Lon Lon Ranch, hugging her knees to her chest as she rocked back and forth with her back facing the person addressing her. She was curled up in a ball, trying to make herself as small as possible, as small as she used to be. "No, I won't!"

"Why not? Just because you're a little bigger now?"

"A little? I grew two feet!"

"That shouldn't keep you from seeing your best friend!"

"I—I can't. I won't! I'm not myself right now."

"Well at least let me tell him why you won't talk to him. This isn't fair for Link. He's been asking to see you for the past two days. I'm running out of excuses, and he knows I'm keeping something from him. He thinks you're avoiding him because you hate him."

"You know I don't hate him, but…I can't face him like this."

"Why not? Why not go to his room right now and tell him you don't hate him?"

"I'm just scared, okay? I don't know why, but I'm scared. I don't even know what _I_ think about this, so who knows what he'll think? I'm not an adult, Malon…so why do I look like one? I feel so strange! Does Link hate me now after I sent him away from the forest? Is that why he wished this curse on me with the Triforce?"

"Saria, he doesn't even know about your change."

"And how would you know that?" She snapped.

"I know because I asked him what he wished for. He didn't wish for you to grow up."

Saria stopped rocking and turned her head to face Malon. "He didn't?"

"No. But you must have. He told me that his wish was for you to have your greatest desire fulfilled."

"That's ridiculous! Why would I want this?!" She shouted. "I—I can't even recognize myself anymore! My friends won't want to be around me anymore!"

"You know Link won't be like that. You're his best friend."

Oddly, Saria's mad yelling was silenced by this comment, though she kept crying. "Yes he will," she whimpered. "I told him to go away and never come back. I made him cry, Malon! You should have seen his face…it was like I had just killed all the joy inside him. Friends don't hurt each other like that."

The redhead didn't know how to respond, so the two stood in silence as the horses raced around the fenced-in area, completely and blissfully unaware of the forest child's plight. Malon hated silence. She contemplated singing to break it, as she so often did, but knowing it wouldn't help any, she stayed quiet. Her tolerance for awkward pauses was quite limited, though, and after a minute she tried her hand at another conversation. "Saria?" No answer. Malon searched for a combination of words that would both express her views on the situation and get the newly-adult Kokiri to say something. "You're only hurting him more by doing this." Silence still. "If your greatest desire isn't to grow up, what is it?" After another long silence, Malon lost her patience. She was about to walk away and let the green-haired girl be, when Saria spoke up.

"My greatest desire is to be able to leave the forest so I can be with Link, wherever he goes." Suddenly, everything made sense to the Kokiri; her eyes widened at her own discovery. "In order for that to happen, I had to grow up; I had to become something other than a Kokiri. Malon, I…I'm a Hylian now!" An overwhelming happiness took over her. In spite of her distaste for her new body, her greatest wish had been granted. She had always missed Link so much when he was away, but now she could see her best friend whenever she wanted!

As the words "best friend" ran through her head, though, her depression returned with a vengeance. "I got my wish, but what if that doesn't matter? What if Link refuses to let me be around him now?"

"You're being silly. He wouldn't have been asking to see you if that were the case."

She had a good point, but Saria still wasn't completely convinced. That is, until she realized something. 'Link gave up his wish for me. Does he even know how sweet that is? Oh, Link…you always make me feel so…special.' A warm feeling bubbled up inside of her, one she had felt often while thinking about him but couldn't identify. It was something akin to happiness. She had the strangest impression that while she had had it for a long time as a child, she was only now feeling its full scope because of her adult body and mind. She felt a burning desire to be with him always…starting now. 'We may not be on the best of terms at the moment, but he can't hate me. If he did, why would he have used up his wish on me? I'm going to thank him and let him know how much he means to me.' She wiped her tears off and flashed Malon a grateful smile. "You're right. I'll go see him now."

She rushed past the relieved ranch girl to the house. She was so focused on getting there that she almost ran into the door without opening it. But once inside the house, her momentum unexpectedly vanished. Despite her conviction that he didn't hate her, she was still feeling nervous and timid, so slowly, quietly, she tiptoed up the stairs.

On the second floor, Link was bored. He had no one to talk to, he wasn't tired enough to go to sleep, and he was too weak to seek company on his own. His situation was getting on his nerves. 'I wish Saria was here. Why is she avoiding me? Why won't the others tell me? I hope she's all right.' He stared up at the ceiling for a few more seconds. 'Well, I'll never find out by staying here.' For the first time in two days, he felt like he might be ready to leave his bed. It was a struggle, but with a series of grunts he got to his feet. Granted, he was still very weak, but at least he was up.

He prepared to take the first step, but all thoughts of walking left when his eye caught a flash of green. His heart caught in his throat. Green hair rose slowly from the stairwell, followed by the body of a young woman tiptoeing up to his room. Mouth agape, he stared unbelievingly. 'Is that—? No, it _couldn't_ be…'

Saria, now fully in the room, stopped moving when she noticed him gawking at her. She became very shy and self-conscious of her new body under his incredulous gaze and looked down at the floor.

There was a moment when neither said anything, she being too nervous and Link trying to make sense of what was going on. "Saria?! Is that you?!" She nodded meekly, still not making a sound or looking at him. "But…but…how?"

Saria summoned enough courage to look up at him and gauge his reaction to her appearance. There was neither cheer nor grief apparent on his face, only shock. That was good…at least he wasn't disgusted, as she had somewhat feared he would be. She approached him slowly. "You used your wish on me. You wished for my greatest desire to be granted, and my greatest desire was to be able to leave the forest so I could be with you." They were close enough now that they could reach out and touch each other. Saria wrapped her arms around him, reaching his full height for the first time in nine years, and snuggled as close to him as she could. "I'm sorry, Link. I'm sorry I yelled at you to leave. I didn't mean it. I was afraid that you might never come back to the forest because of it and that I might never see you again. I couldn't handle the thought. I hope you still want me to be your friend, because I can't stand the idea of being without you."

"Of course I still want to be your friend," he said sadly. "I could never hate you. I thought you were the one who hated me." He wrapped his arms around her as well, and they held each other for a few minutes. Not talking, just basking in each other's company. At length Link smiled and whispered in her ear, making her shiver. "I can't believe it, but you're even more beautiful now than you were as a Kokiri."

She blushed slightly. She had been so busy complaining about her new size that she hadn't noticed how she looked. It was good to know that at least someone liked the change. 'I could get used to him calling me beautiful. Maybe this new body won't be so bad.'

"And you know," he said, "one good thing _did_ come out of all the terrible things that have happened this week: it will be a lot easier for me to hug you from now on."

Saria's heart melted. She couldn't stand it any longer. In a moment of clarity, she finally figured out what the strange emotion she felt around Link was. In a quick move that caught him completely off guard, she kissed him.

Link couldn't believe what was happening. Saria hardly believed it herself, but they both enjoyed it nonetheless. Closing their eyes, they let their lips linger on each other's a few seconds longer than was necessary. Then slowly, hesitantly, they pulled away. "I love you," she said.

He was stunned, but one look into her blue eyes proved to him that she meant it with all her heart. Every thought going through his brain was a jumbled mess of joyful shouts, and as his eyes softened and his smile grew, he felt a stray tear falling from his eye; love and happiness were literally leaking out of him. He had thought this would never be possible, but suddenly it was, and the sheer magnitude of his feelings for her and hers for him was overwhelming. More tears spilled from his eyes, and seeing him cry for her caused Saria to cry as well, though their smiles never faltered. "I love you too. I've loved you for so long, but the fact that you were a child always kept me from telling you; I didn't want to corrupt your innocence, and since you were a child I couldn't imagine you having any romantic feelings, let alone about me."

"I've loved you for a long time too, but it's only now with my adult mind that I've realized it. I've always thought you were special. I've always felt like I needed to be around you. It used to puzzle me why I thought of you differently than I thought of anyone else, but now I know. You've made me so happy, Link." She gently pushed him back onto his bed. (Not a difficult task, seeing as how he was barely able to stand) "And now, I'm going to cover you in kisses…"

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The next day, Link was healthy enough to move about. He and Saria left the ranch together to go to the funeral that was being held for Princess Zelda. Most of Hyrule's population was in attendance, though not everyone could fit into Kakariko's graveyard. The funeral lasted most of the day, and at the end she was buried near the royal tomb, next to her ancestors. Hours later after everyone had left, Link remained in the cemetery. He had made peace with Zelda, but he still had one more friend to pay respects to.

Dampe helped him make a tombstone for Navi. Link had it engraved, "Navi the fairy, an endless source of wisdom and friendship for the Hero of Time. Killed by Ganondorf Dragmire, King of Evil."

Dampe began writing about Link's adventures. He insisted that it was absolutely necessary that the story of the Hero of Time be recorded and placed into the history archives for future generations. He asked that Link come to his house one day and recall every detail he could relating to his exploits as the Hero of Time, including his quest in Termina. Link promised he would do so, but explained that first he and Saria were going on a trip around Hyrule, since it was still new to her. In the meantime, the old mage questioned others (the sages most importantly, but also anyone who happened to recall details from the alternate future) on their accounts of Ganondorf's reign and the events leading up to it. He compiled all of his notes into a very thick and detailed book called The Legend of Zelda. It ended with the following passage:

"So ends the story of the Hero of Time. However, though Zelda was killed and Ganon slain, they cannot truly die; in a way, Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf are immortal, for some time after the Hero of Time dies and the Triforce he guards is scattered, the three of them will be reborn and fight for the Triforce once more. Such has been prophesized by the goddesses themselves. And with their reincarnation begins the new Hero's saga, the next part of this Legend. May the future be as blessed as the present.

---Dampe"

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The End

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**Dannondorf:** After I posted chapter nine, I received an email from an irate reader who saw fit to flame me for my decision to write a Saria/Link romance. He (well, I _assume_ it's a he) called me a disgusting pervert and a pedophile and told me that I sucked. Now normally I ignore it when people harass me over the internet, but this is a special case: the guy didn't just insult _me_. Oh no. That alone wasn't enough to satisfy him. He explicitly stated that all supporters of greenshipping, (yeah, I made that term up, so sue me :p) whether authors or readers, were terrible people. Well, I just want to make one thing very clear to those who brand others as pedophiles for having an interest in these types of fics:

The Saria/Link pairing is NOT founded on physical attraction.

I'm not saying that the characters can't be attracted to each other, but no author that I'm aware of has put these two characters together simply because they thought a little adult-child loving would be hot. The logic behind the pairing is simple: Link has known Saria all his life, and the two are best friends. (Well, some would argue this point, I guess, but at the very least, they're close friends.) However, time and circumstance have made it all but impossible for them to pursue a romantic relationship with each other. THIS is what Saria/Link fics are about: finding a way to be with each other even when destiny itself seems to have forbidden it. There is great potential for drama and angst in this idea, and I believe it's nothing short of ignorant to not recognize this.

I know I'm generalizing. I'm sure there are plenty of Saria/Link fans who will disagree with me when it comes to the focus of these stories. I merely wanted to put my thoughts out there.

This goes for all other pairings as well. Don't flame someone just because he or she embraces an idea that you don't.

Phew…sorry for that rant. Now it's time to celebrate. Woo-hoo! I actually finished this story! Awesome! Take THAT, to-do list! Saria's Wish is the result of over two years of work, believe it or not. So now that you know how much time I spent on it, don't you think it's fair that you spend just a few minutes writing a review? Please? I really want to know what you thought of it. Did you enjoy the ride as much as I did? Or was it so bad that it forever ruined fanfiction for you? Please tell me. I realize it's far from perfect, but it's still the best novel-length thing I've ever written. (I wrote another Zelda story of similar length a long time ago, but it was so bad I'm embarrassed to even talk about it.) I'd like to hear everyone's opinions. Did I succeed in making the best Saria/Link story ever, like I set out to do? Did I even come close? Don't be afraid to crush my ego if you have to.

Thanks again to all the people who bothered reading this! I hope I've kept you all entertained. And thanks especially to my beta-reader, **OyOfMidworld**, and to all the people who reviewed: your comments pushed me to do the very best I could do, and this story would have been much worse without your support.

I'm going to rest my creative muscles for a while and come back a better writer than ever. You'll see! Dannondorf out.


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